Pieces By Violet: "Bring A little extra soul and character to your event"

COLEVALLEYSF Spotlight: Pieces by Violet

We have a new business in our quaint little neighborhood: Pieces by Violet, a antique furniture rental business. In order to get the inside scoop of our new addition, I was able to speak with Kate, the owner, to learn a bit more about how Pieces by Violet started.

While her and her husband are originally from England, they settled in Cole Valley several years ago after her husband was offered a position as a software developer. Since their immigration visa only permitted her husband, Simon, to work, Kate started to pour her creative energies into turning their empty Cole Valley apartment into a home. "I started to collect a mix of vintage furniture, most of which required some TLC. I learned how to restore the pieces, and brought them back to their original beauty. Over time I grew a huge passion for the work.."

After using some of the vintage pieces she restored for their wedding in 2012, and getting very positive feedback she received about the pieces, Kate thought, "maybe this is something I could do professionally." Once she got her green card in 2013, she knew creating her own business was now possible. However, rather than simply selling vintage pieces, it seemed a more exciting opportunity to rent the pieces to events, complete with a delivery and staging service. She called the newly formed company 'Pieces by Violet', after her Grandmother, Violet. In early November 2013, Pieces by Violet finally launched and received a great response. 

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"Over the last few months I have put my heart and soul into building up a rental inventory for the business. I have scoured antique fairs, flea markets, and even Craigslist on the search for the perfect pieces for the collection. Also, the website has been a huge focus, both in terms of design and implementation. My aim has been to ensure that every aspect of the business looks professional and very design-led."

Now, I bet you're asking the question, "what services does Pieces by Violet offer?" Well, Kate has provided us with a great list:

• Vintage rentals. Pieces by Violet rents vintage furniture and other unique items to events in the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country. We have a very eclectic collection of pieces, that is growing all of the time.
  
• Delivery, staging and return. We aim to make the rental process hassle free, and will deliver and collect anywhere within a 100 mile radius of the city. We'll liaise with event planners and venues to make sure everything goes smoothly. 
  
• Sourcing. If there's something that you must have for your event, and it's not listed within our collection, contact us as we'll happily source it for you.

Pieces by Violet began in Cole Valley and Kate definitely wants to stick around. She mentioned that, "the next phase for the business is to expand the rental collection substantially," and maybe sometime in the future to open a small showroom in Cole Valley. With every spotlight, we always ask: What do you like most about Cole Valley? Here's her answer:


"Cole Valley has soul. Having been brought up in England, many places there have a depth and character all of their own, almost like a patina on a vintage piece of furniture. Cole Valley feels like that too; there is a richness to the streets, the houses, the stores, and the people that makes me love the neighborhood! Also, Cole Valley is resourceful. It has provided almost everything that I have needed to start a business here: renovation materials from the hardware store, inspiration from the antiques store, business services from the post office, and business lunches at Zazie!"

Find out more about Pieces by Violet and get in touch with her if you are interested in her services.
Website: www.piecesbyviolet.com
Email: kate@piecesbyviolet.com
Telephone: 415-595-0299
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piecesbyviolet