Ceola Ruth’s French Farmhouse Offers Decorative Items

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Stop by Ceola Ruth’s – The French Farmhouse at 8300 Auburn Avenue in Citrus Heights, and you will likely discover quite an unusual selection of reasonably-priced French country style home furnishings and décor. This month, their shop was overrun with rabbits and Easter-themed inventory.

Owners Fred Quick and Carolynn Thomas bought the business of Cottage Vintique and its remaining inventory, rebranding it as Ceola Ruth’s - The French Farmhouse in honor of Carolynn’s grandmother who loved fashion throughout her life and this style of décor. The store celebrates its third anniversary in October.

Carolynn enjoys a dual career as a director of housing for the Greater Sacramento Urban League, jointly managing the store with her husband Fred, who oversees day-to-day store operations. She said she enjoys time away from the store to scout estate sales throughout the region for unusual inventory which she feels will catch her customer’s eye.

The couple said they had to rethink their business model when the pandemic began. The store is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many customers re-discovered Ceola Ruth’s through a revamped web and social media presence.

“We also redesigned the interior of our shop to make it comfortable for our customers to safely browse all that we have to offer,” Fred Quick said. The shop offers in-person sales and shipping upon request.

Instead of counting on walk-in sales traffic, the pair decided to hire out a consultant to photograph their ever-changing inventory and build an e-commerce-style merchandise catalog on their website.

Cottage décor pillows, picture frames, vintage furniture, women’s novelty vests, vintage suitcases and farmhouse décor are just some of the treasures first-time shoppers can expect to find in their store.

While much of the store’s original inventory came from its previous owner, both Carolynn and Fred had plenty of furniture and French décor inspired items of their own which they knew would be a great addition to their shop’s inventory.

Many of their smaller furniture items are hand-painted by Carolynn, using Dixie Belle chalk paints, which the store sells exclusively.

Reasonably priced decorative household accessories and furnishings include teapots, lamps, plates, rolling pins, aprons, candlesticks, framed pictures, tapestries, luggage, baskets, picture frames, ceramic dolls and some collector’s items. Small unpainted furniture items in inventory include nightstands, wooden TV trays, end tables, benches and foot stools. Some of these furniture pieces have been hand-painted by Carolynn herself, and feature applied decoupage.

The couple intend to open a secondary showroom in the back of their shop where larger-sized country-style bedroom furniture will be featured, Fred Quick said.

Carolynn Thomas gives recognition to two dear women who hold a special place in her heart which inspires her creativity today.

“My mother was always a very well-dressed woman. She had an extensive collection of dress white gloves and purses which I now have,” she said. When Carolynn was a young girl, she said she admired her great aunt GG, who was always sewing and making beautiful quilts.

Thomas’ line of vintage-inspired clothing for women, as well as a line of purses, feature her signature trademark “C-Lynn Glove.”

“I give both my mother and my Aunt GG homage in our store’s name for those inspirations and creative gifts, and I’m happy that I can share them with our customers who stop by Ceola Ruth’s - The French Farmhouse for the very first time,” Carolynn Thomas said.

Ceola Ruth’s - The French Farmhouse at 8300 Auburn Blvd. in Citrus Heights is open from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Call 916-968-4221 for more information. The shop is also on Facebook and a complete online catalog is featured at www.ceolaruth.com