Over the past several years, Sumrall resident Cadie Calhoun has refined her skills as a country music recording artist, with recent hits such as “Shake the Trailer” and “Something Right.”
Now, the singer is trying her hand at another venture: Hattie’s Corner, a furniture consignment shop which opened earlier this year at 560 Weathersby Road, Suite 50 in Hattiesburg. Calhoun, who purchased the store approximately two weeks ago, said she was inspired to do so by her best friend, who owns the nearby Banana Peel, a consignment shop specializing in baby and kids’ goods.
“She came up to me one day and pray about this … I know you’re a singer, but I think you need to buy this store,” Calhoun said. “Hattiesburg doesn’t even have a furniture consignment place, and what drew me (to this) is that I’ve always had a love for interior design, and I actually worked at a furniture consignment store in Nashville called The Velvet Shoestring.
“Little did I know the circle that it would take to go all the way around and come back, and here I am buying a furniture consignment store.”
When Hattie’s Corner first opened, it specialized in home furnishing and accessories, among other variety items. Now that Calhoun has taken over, the shop focuses strictly on the home furnishings and furniture items.
Patrons can find high-quality, pre-owned furniture ranging in style from modern to vintage and rustic.
“We’re trying to keep everything contemporary, so if people are looking or gravitating toward a certain style of furniture, (we can accommodate them),” said Kimberly Douglas, a friend of Calhoun’s who helps run the store. “We have a vintage room, which is more antiques and vintage pieces, because we feel like some of the mature audience is looking for those pieces.
“We’ve got historical and nostalgic pieces; we’ve really got something for everybody.”
Anyone interested in consignment at the shop can start that process by calling the store at (601) 336-7371, at which point the staff will instruct them on how to prepare any gently-used items to be consigned. That includes items such as sofas, dining sets, coffee tables, dressers, wall art, mirrors, lamps, coffee table books and décor.
One the items are brought in, store staff will conduct a thorough assessment to determine their best retail value. A consignment agreement can then be signed, which will detail the terms of the process, including the time period, pricing and payment schedule.
The items are displayed in the shop’s showroom, and store officials oversee the marketing and sales process.
“Consignment is 50/50,” Douglas said. “Once it’s on the floor for 60 days, we reduce it 20 percent, and once it’s on the floor for 90 days, it gets reduced another 20 percent.
“So we want things to be priced right, and we want to keep things moving so that it’s good for the consigner, the buyer and the store.”
In addition to the consignment aspect, Calhoun also uses the store to facilitate her hobby of painting, as well as to teach voice and guitar lessons. She recently painted a six-and-a-half foot floral motif behind the store’s checkout desk, and currently has 15 students for the aforementioned lessons.
“And I’m building a place in the back warehouse for a rehearsal hall and a teaching stage, so I can teach stage presence,” Calhoun said. “And during these times, it’s the best thing to have a resource for interior (goods).
“Also, for people that are selling their houses and are wanting to remodel, well, what do you do with all your furniture? Now, you can bring it to Hattie’s Corner and you don’t have to deal with the marketplace. It’s much more convenient, and I just feel like Hattiesburg needed this place.”
Calhoun started singing when she was 10years old at Temple Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, following her mother and grandmother in that endeavor. While attending Oak Grove High School, she became involved in the Oak Grove Drama Department and was a member of the International Thespian Society.
During a musical theater tour to Scotland, Calhoun was encouraged by a judge at the event to pursue singing, and eventually toured with musicians John Stone and Craig Morgan. She later formed the Cadie Calhoun Band and has since played several times in Hattiesburg, as well as at various venues in Nashville such as Rippy’s, Silver Dollar Saloon and Honky Tonk Central, among others.
To celebrate her ownership of Hattie’s Corner, Calhoun held a grand opening on November 4, during which she and her band played a live set outside the business.
“I just want this to be a Christian business that’s local and thriving in Hattiesburg with friends, family and country (music) fans,” Calhoun said.
For more information on Hattie’s Corner, visit the store’s Facebook page or www.hattiescorner.com, or call (601) 336-7371.
