My Story…

Rustic & Refined is a small town, family run retail business that offers Modern Farmhouse Décor, DIY Take Home Projects for all ages, Subscription Boxes, Custom Orders, Premium Paint and more!! 

Rustic & Refined is a perfect blend of my love for crafting and teaching, and  my family’s long history in retail.  I literally grew up in the family business! My Grandparents started their retail business in 1949, in the same location I am in right now. My Dad grew up in the business, and I hung out there a lot. They closed “The Summerland 5 ¢ to $1.00 Store” in 1997, after 49 years in business.

Lisa Hallquist – Owner, Designer 

I always loved receiving handmade gifts and I started making my own to give.  I was always making something for my 2 girls to play with or to hang in their room. If I couldn’t find a pattern, I’d figure it out myself! 

Prior to starting Rustic & Refined in 2017, I was a fitness instructor for 25 years.  I loved my job! But after 1 open heart surgery in 2012 (and knowing I’d need another in the near future), I needed to shift gears.  I spent a lot of time researching and brainstorming with my family. We decided on home décor and teaching creative workshops.  We bought the building in downtown Summerland, and here we are.  

Continuing on with a family run business, I have my Mom, my Dad, my husband, my 2 girls, and son-in-law all help out when needed. When I was teaching a workshop in the back, one of my girls or my Mom was running the front of the store. Dad helps with everything behind the scenes – building, cleaning, hauling, fixing. 

Fast forward to today, with the pandemic, I have not been running workshops. So, I have switched gears and have created a wide variety of DIY take home projects, that I’d love to share with you.  All the kits, signs and custom work are made locally by my Dad and I. I am hoping to offer workshops this Fall.

I hope you like what you see, and that you can imagine yourself painting up some beautiful things for your own home or to give as a gift.  I love seeing people turning my kits into their own creations.  It is so much fun to “get away” and create something pretty.  It is a real sense of accomplishment.