Romancing the Walls opens in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK — Romancing the Walls, a small business that primarily sells homemade home décor, had a ribbon-cutting Wednesday to celebrate its opening. Dee Schippel is the owner and the person who creates and repurposes the products. She said she has always had an artistic side to her. She creates items such as faux floral arrangements, wreaths and more. "I've always done something with my hands," she said. "I had a very strong 31-year real estate career that used one side of my brain. (Creating) was my sanity. It allowed me to relax." Before opening her store, Schippel had sold her products out of her home and at craft fairs since the 1980s. Over the years, she worked out of a spare room and a garage. Schippel lived in Arizona for years before coming back to Northeast Ohio. She looked at several properties throughout the area before she ended up in Brunswick by chance. The growth and development of the city of Brunswick over the years intrigued her. "35,000 people seems little to someone from Arizona, but for me, it's perfect," she said. "I want a small-town feel. I want someone who will come to me (and) say hey, I'm redecorating my living room. I don't know what to do. Can you come help me?" She finds inspiration for her products just about everywhere when she sees something that intrigues her. She said she also keeps track of trends like the color of the year to see what kinds of products people are interested in. "I get inspired by clouds in the sky," Schippel said. "The color of the sky here is so blue. I'll go out, look at the fluffy clouds, and that inspires me." Romancing the Walls is on 4014 Center Road. Since she is the only employee, store hours are mainly by appointment. She will also post on her social media when she is working for people to stop by. Schippel said people should buy her products because they are high quality and personal. "I'm not a stuffy artist," she said. "I'm an artist, but I like to have fun with what I make, and I like to make people happy." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.