A display showcases items available in the new House to Home business at 131 E. Main St. in John Day.

Kattie Piazza’s new business, House to Home, at 131 E. Main St. in John Day is more than a shop with fun, upscale home decor.

Inside, customers will find high-quality vases, candles, signs and frames and other unique decor.

Kitchen supplies, dishes, towels and one-of-a-kind storage items are also among the array of items in the store.

Piazza, who opened the store on April 22, also welcomes interior design and decorating clients to share her expertise in creating a living space that fits their style and personality.

“Home, to me, is my sanctuary, so I like to help other people create the same type of space for themselves,” she said. “People like their style to be individual and not look like everyone else.”

Whether a person needs help from the ground up or simply wants to rearrange a room, Piazza said she’s ready to help in a variety of ways.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about interior design is that you have to buy all new things,” she said. “Sometimes it just takes someone to come in and re-evaluate the space.”

She said she can design a home with new items, even finding a special decor item on the internet for purchase, or use existing furnishings and decor.

Options include meeting at a hardware store to select paint, in-home visits to design from there and going through magazines in the store and “storyboarding” — creating the new look on a computer with design software.

Some of today’s popular styles include a rustic mix with current trends and colors and an urban foundry look with a little modern, she said.

Piazza grew up in John Day, graduating from Grant Union High School.

While away for 12 years, she studied art design and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from George Fox University in Newberg.

She also took interior design classes and spent eight years in Portland in that line of work.

Piazza returned to her hometown of John Day three years ago.

“I love Grant County,” she said.

She said she spent hours as a child rearranging a Barbie dream house, and also dreamed of owning her own business.

“I’m trying to create another community-type atmosphere,” she said, adding that part of her rationale behind the business is to give back.

People can browse for a gift to give away or something for themselves, and she plans to create a chalkboard wall where visitors can write down the items or brands they’d like her to carry.

Eventually, she would like to offer interior decorating classes at the shop.

“I just want to make House to Home truly their store,” she said.

She said becoming a business owner is allowing her to volunteer for the youth program Young Life and be a high school dance coach.

“I hope to be here for a really long time,” she said. “I’m thankful for the support and the welcome from the community in opening House to Home.”

House to Home is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, call 541-575-0233.