At My Sister’s Garage in Windham, rescuing and refurbishing vintage furniture is a family affair.
THE OWNERS
Siblings Jenn Tringali, a former prop-stylist, and Sarah Tringali, a former event coordinator, began their business 12 years ago, selling vintage furniture and clothing out of their Naples garage. Now ensconced in an antique dormered Cape in Windham and catering to a devoted customer base, the pair stays organized by sticking to a schedule: sourcing and refurbishing furniture on Mondays and Tuesdays, setting up and styling the shop on Wednesdays, and selling their wares the rest of the week.
THE LOCATION
The Tringalis set up shop in their hometown to be close to family. (Visitors are often treated to goodies baked by their mom.) But the dearth of foot traffic on rural Route 302 means they have to cast a wide net to reach clients. Weekly Facebook albums broadcast what’s new to their more than 11,000 followers, who are quick to place holds.
On a recent visit to My Sister’s Garage, we found vintage basketry, bentwood chairs dangling from an improvised coatrack, and sister-owners Sarah and Jenn Tringali. Photographs by Heidi Kirn.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Rotating rooms within rooms that are fully decorated, from the rug to the lamps to the open book on the nightstand. The sisters are known for their painted furniture and quirky repurposing, like a guitar turned wall planter, but you’ll find linens, tableware, and clothing too. “People love walking into a house that’s set up for how you might live in it,” Jenn says. Even if they don’t find something, they’ll walk out with inspiration for putting things together on their own.”
WE LOVE
Bentwood café chairs upholstered in palm-leaf fabric (“People trust us to help them decorate with new trends,” Jenn says); a coatrack fashioned from a twin headboard and wooden shoe-mold hooks; a charcoal pine dresser emblazoned with stenciled arrows; and a cast-iron tub reimagined as a sofa. “We’re real life,” says Sarah, noting the pair’s focus on budget-conscious finds. “We love what we do and we want everybody to be a part of it.”
