Delaware resident Joan Schick has taken to filling her beautiful, historical home on State Route 61 with equally beautiful and historical items.
Schick recently had the home’s basement renovated and has since filled it, along with the rest of the house, with beautiful items. Some of these items are family heirlooms, such as Schick’s old wooden highchair. Many of the other items are from Schick’s favorite antique store, Relics Plus, which is located at 19 S. Main St. in Marengo.
Items that Schick has purchased at the store include paintings and furniture. Schick said she is such a big fan of the store, “I go up every day just to make sure nothing’s come in that I haven’t seen, but I’m running out of room.”
In addition to heirlooms and antiques, Schick’s home boasts many of her own artistic creations. Using mostly found items, such as sea shells and dried plants, Schick creates beautiful pieces ranging from small magnets to larger framed pieces. At 78, Schick is new to the life of an artist. Having raised five boys, she said she never had the time to find a particular hobby that suited her.
After discovering her love of crafts, she said she has been happy to finally have “my me time.” She said that, when working on her crafts, I “just lose myself.”
A tour of her home showed Schick’s dedication to preserving its history. The entrance to each room of the basement contains a picture of the same room before it was renovated. The difference is astounding.
As she led this reporter on a tour of the house, she seemed to have something interesting to say about every room. In one, she pointed out a portrait of her husband’s great-grandparents. The portrait is nearly all that remains to the couple’s story. In another, she mentioned how the space had once been used to raise pheasants. “If walls could talk,” she remarked.
Schick is hoping to begin to sell some of her handmade art works. She can be contacted at 740-524-6591. She intends to continue to create new pieces in her basement studio. “I wanna be here ’til the end,” she said.
