Walk into 68 Home on Broad Street and a ’70s bohemian vibe wraps its arms around you like a sheepskin throw.
There sits a white pleather footstool on tapered legs. On the wall, there’s a wooden sunburst clock and a variety of fringed wall hangings. Not far from a bleached-out cow skull stands an old wooden ironing board, having found new life as a plant stand with philodendron leaves twining its legs.
How does all this fit together as home décor? Owner Mariya Boykova, a 2013 Virginia Commonwealth University graduate in interior design, opened 68 Home for college kids and young professionals who don’t have time to thrift. Scouring auctions and estate sales, going to people’s houses and helping others downsize, Boykova seeks out pieces she’d have in her own home and prices them to be affordable.
Because many people are unsure how to combine new and old pieces, she sets up vignettes in her shop so customers can get ideas about how to integrate pieces into existing rooms.
“People pick out elements they like and I help them figure out how to put it into their home,” she says. Boykova prefers a mix of modern and older pieces and likes to play with pattern. “I tell people not to be scared of color. It can be done right.”
All of 68 Home’s new merchandise is made locally by hand. Workshops on such things as circular weaving, tin types and making plant hangers refer to the ’70s and offer hands-on ways to decorate.
Boykova also does styling for customers designing on a budget. She adds new stuff weekly and posts frequently on Instagram to alert customers to the latest finds. Crocheted afghans in ’70s shades like gold, brown and orange are snapped up almost as soon as they arrive.
When in doubt, she says, throw a sheepskin on everything.
68 Home, 5 W. Broad St., 337-8731, 68homerva.com.