Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
Each year, A New View's owner turns the store into a themed holiday experience. This year, the store has transformed into a winter lodge. ASHBURN, VA — Ashburn residents don't need to head to the mountains to get the feeling of entering a cozy ski lodge. A New View, a small business featuring upcycled home goods created by the owner, introduced its holiday collection with an Alpine Lodge theme on Saturday morning. A New View started out of owner Kimberly Harris's garage almost a decade ago and now operates out of its latest brick-and-mortar location at 20800 Ashburn Road in Old Ashburn. Each holiday season, the store puts together a collection of holiday items made from recycled items, and it doubles as a picturesque holiday backdrop for holiday family photoshoots and other special events. Lanie Sano, the marketing director for A New View, told Patch the store is a unique experience as locally-owned gift shops are dwindling. "It's not anything that they can get anywhere else," said Sano. "It's something that you walk into, and you see the magic of it as soon as you get to the bottom step of the house. Harris keeps the holiday shop under wraps until the big reveal, which happened at 10 a.m. Saturday. That kicks off the busiest time of year for A New View, a testament to Harris's hard work in creating unique gift and home items for the holidays. The store will remain open for the holiday season through Dec. 21. "We will be full force until we close, and it's crazy," Harris told Patch. "It will be new merchandise all the time." In creating Alpine Lodge, Harris told Patch she was inspired by winter lodges she visited growing up. "I love the feel, the warmth. I felt like it was a reason that you could give each room to attract different people, where you're not in one kind of theme and stuck in that," said Harris. "So there should be a room where everybody should enjoy." As customers enter, they will feel like they are checking in to a lodge with a front desk adorned with keys. The next room is intended to feel like a lodge gift shop with holiday gift and home items, including ornaments with names of local ski resorts. A New View's kitchen has been transformed into the Frosty Mug Tavern, giving customers a sense of how the holiday items could look in their kitchens. The scent of mountain pine from a stovetop simmer is one item customers can purchase for their own homes. Another highlight in the Frosty Mug Tavern is a window appearing to show snowfall every three minutes. Next up is the Mountain Mist Reading Room, which could double as a cozy library or a "man cave." The last stop for customers is the Velvet Peaks Dining Room, which Harris says is the higher-end side of the store. "It's a small store, but we pack it in, but not to a point where we overwhelm you," said Harris. "We want everyone to kind of breathe and take it in." Harris has additional items waiting to be added to the store as other items sell. She says the look of the store changes as new items are added, but the theme will stay the same. Most items in the store are for sale, except a few centerpiece items that customers can reserve and pickup after the store closes on Dec. 21. During the holiday season, A New View will have its fire pit going and have hot chocolate and popcorn available. One popular returning event is Twilight Shopping, where the store will turn off all lights except on the holiday decor. This year's Twilight Shopping will be held on Nov. 8, Nov. 20, Dec. 5 and Dec. 18 with extended hours until 8 p.m. Other upcoming events include an Ashburn Elementary School holiday mini photoshoot on Nov. 8 and 16 to fundraise for fifth graders' promotion festivities, Community Sip & Shop with Stephen Rodriguez, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 21, Littlest Bookshop PJ Party for children and their families, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 6, and the Littlest Bookshop Trailer debut, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 13. Along with in-store events, Harris will set up photo backdrops for Woofie's 12th annual Paws & Claus Photos with Santa Fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 15. The event benefits Paws of Honor, which provided free veterinary car to retired military and law enforcement K9s. The store will be closed on Black Friday and open for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. From Nov. 1 to Dec. 6, the store will be a drop-off location for toys for preschool-aged children to support Loudoun County Public Schools Head Start. A New View regularly hosts community groups, fundraisers and other small businesses. Harris says she wants to support other small businesses, noting challenges like high rent that can be an obstacle for starting up. "I know what it's like to be that person trying to find some place to build your dream," said Harris. "When you have a helping hand and a community that supports you, it makes all the difference." Harris urged residents to support small businesses during the holiday season and beyond. "Always support small businesses," said Harris. "If we don't have the support of the community backing us up, we won't be here. Unfortunately, we've seen a lot of big companies leave, and we don't want that to happen to small businesses because this is the charm of what America was built on." A New View is currently open Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it closes at 6 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit www.newviewtoday.com.
