Antique mall wins KSB's beautification award

The French Door Antique Mall is just one of the businesses in Sidney that is helping to keep the city beautiful.

Mary Jo Putman, opened the store two and half years ago in a rented space off of Toledo Street. She just moved the mall to its current location, on 10th street, in May. Because of its stellar outward and inside appearance Putman's store has been honored with the Community Beautification Award by Keep Sidney Beautiful.

"The Community Beautification Award is given out quarterly to an organization or businesses that has gone above and beyond to make it exceptionally beautiful and make Sidney a nicer place," said KSB director Cheryl Jones.

Putman opened this business because of an interest in antiques, rather than design.

"When we moved here, ten years ago, there wasn't really shopping for women," Putman said.

She started going to auctions and found a wide array of items that she wanted to buy, but didn't have room for all of it. She starting making purchases anyway with the plan to rent a booth at an antique store. Putman couldn't find a store anywhere nearby with an open space, so on a whim she decided to open her own place.

"I didn't think it would really happen," Putman said.

She sells her own merchandise, as well as renting to around 20 outside vendors. Putman finds her antiques anywhere and everywhere. She scours auctions, estate sales and sometimes even yard sales to acquire unique items.

Putman's revenue has tripled since she moved from the Jones center to her current location.

It took quite a bit of work to make what was an old garage into an antique store, but it was well worth it, Putman said. Her husband and his friends installed the tin ceiling and they put a big window in the front. The shop is full of antique furniture, odds and ins arranged in a creative fashion.

Before the move Putman was worried that she wouldn't be able to fill the shop, but she had the entire main room full before the doors officially opened.

"What a neat shop," Jones observed.