Rustic meets modern at Emmy + Bo

Old Town Battle Ground has a reputation for quality vintage stores. While upcycled items are still highly sought after, the addition of Emmy + Bo back in March adds even more diversity to the home décor palate represented along Main Street.

Inside Emmy + Bo shoppers will find only new or hand-made items. The atmosphere is clean, with a decidedly modern farmhouse focus. Although Emmy + Bo is a vendor-driven shop, there are no booths. Sleek, barn style flooring is offset by white shiplap walls with touches of corrugated metal, a metal ceiling, strategically-placed drop lighting and a sliding barn door in the back accented by a full-length mirror.

Metal shelving and wooden tables hold treasures like handmade jewelry, soaps, lotions, kitchen accents, hand-sewn pillows and clutches, candles and cards. Custom wood signs are displayed throughout Emmy + Bo. From positive phrases like “We love you to the moon and back” and “Wisdom begins in wonder” to an edgy cutting board that proclaims “This is where I murder my vegetables,” there seems to be a sign for every occasion.

Co-owner Emily Weir describes the store as a warm and cozy space with a nod to the kind of outdoor living the Northwest is known for. Instead of the “school farmhouse” feel with plaid, red and farm animals, modern farmhouse combines the rustic elements of wood with the modern elements of metal while toning down the harsh perception with texture and, sometimes, greenery. This balance of rustic and modern — or industrial — is also accomplished by mixing old-looking pieces with new. An appropriate example would be a full-sized mirror hung on a sliding barn door that replaces a traditional entry door in a room.

High school friends Weir (aka Emmy) and Kristina Schlappi (aka Bo) met while attending Cascadia Technical Academy’s cosmetology program back in 2010. After each lady married and started a family, they both knew they wanted to find an income stream that allowed them to stay home with their babies. Hand-painted signs have been making a comeback for several years now and it didn’t take long for these two creative women to gain a strong customer base at seasonal shows, markets and on social media.

When the two began talking about a storefront, Weir and Schlappi considered Woodland where Schlappi lives. When the 1,800 square-foot space on the north side of Battle Ground’s Main Street became available, they weighed the pros and cons. Even with a higher rent, they “just knew” it was right for them.

Weir said, “Main Street is just so perfect. It’s definitely community over competition with the other shops in Old Town.”

Many of the vendors showcased at Emmy + Bo are artisans that Weir and Schlappi met through annual traveling shows. They have a curated style to stocking the storefront, hand-selecting every brand new item and signing off on every vendor-provided item before it’s displayed. The overall feel of the space is guided by the duo’s own personal tastes and interests. A by-product of this thoughtful approach is an absence of random merchandise.

The only food line carried at Emmy + Bo is Serendipity-Doo-Dah which sells gourmet caramel corn, scone mixes and spice rubs. Located in La Center, Serendipity scores high marks with Weir.

“We’d seen her at sales before so we knew she had great quality items. If you haven’t tried her caramel corn, it’s some of the best I’ve ever had,” Weir said.

Sweet Sara Lynn is one of Emmy + Bo’s best-selling vendors, responsible for the hand-sewn pillows and clutches displayed throughout the shop. Atomic Metal is the brainchild of Jeremy Elliott who fabricates metal signs, shelving and “floating” metal words that are a popular accent to modern farmhouses right now.

“It’s been fun to meet our Facebook following in person. People really like that it’s all locally, hand-made stuff,” Weir said. “It’s a way to customize your home and make it feel like it’s your own place of comfort.”