Sometimes the most powerful conversations come from people who found the one thing that matters most to them and built something meaningful around it. That’s exactly what happened when I sat down with Eva Ruiz, the owner of Homestyle Treasures.

A Passion That Was Always There

Eva didn’t stumble into the vintage world by accident. She grew up going to flea markets with her parents, and even though her family didn’t have a lot of money, she learned early on that you could still make a home beautiful. Her family used to joke that she was the Martha Stewart of the bunch because she always loved to decorate. But like a lot of us, she never thought of it as something that could become a business. Life happened. Seasons changed. And it wasn’t until later that she circled back to what had been instilled in her all along.

Seeing What Others Walk Past

One of the things that struck me most about Eva is how she looks at objects. Where most people see a piece of junk, she sees five steps ahead. She compares it to watching a movie and admiring a beautiful set, then asking yourself why you can’t recreate that feeling in your own home. That’s really the heart of what she does. She finds a look she loves and figures out how to bring it to life for a fraction of the cost.

The Collector’s Community

Eva introduced me to a world I honestly didn’t know much about: the vintage and antique reseller community. She calls herself a collector, and she talked about how there are entire communities built around finding specific treasures, whether that’s the best ramen in Japan or a rare piece of transferware. One story stuck with me. She found an antique bottle from a fellow collector in California that happened to say Lowell, Massachusetts on it, the very city she was born in. She didn’t need that bottle. But it touched her, and that’s the kind of moment collectors live for.

Authenticity You Can Feel

We also got into how she tells real vintage from a modern replica. She talked about picking something up and feeling the weight of it, flipping it over to look for markings or stamps, and learning to recognize the quality of a piece almost instinctively. But she was quick to add that if you love something and it happens to be a great replica, that’s okay too. Homestyle Treasures isn’t about being a purist. It’s about creating a home you genuinely love, mixing modern with vintage, and not caring what anyone else thinks about it.

A Home That Tells Your Story

Eva talked about walking into a friend’s home and instantly feeling who that person was through the colors, the photos, and the little details on the walls. That’s the feeling she wants people to have when they walk into her own home too. She wants her space to reflect exactly who she is, family photos and all, even if that means something might get broken by a kid running through the living room. And if someone else prefers plain beige walls and a minimalist life, she’s the first to say that’s just as valid.

Taking the Leap

Eva has been through a lot of seasons in her life. She was a young mother, then focused on her marriage, then career-minded. Now she’s in a season that is finally about her. She talked honestly about the self-doubt that comes with starting something new, and how she had to remind herself that if she had already navigated so much in life, she could handle this too. Her biggest cheerleaders turned out to be people in the vintage reseller community online, people who had never met her in person but believed in her anyway.

Thirty Years and Counting

Eva has been married for thirty years, and she shared how she and her husband met at a club back when pagers were still a thing. Both of them grew up craving the stability they didn’t always have as kids, and that’s shaped how intentional they are about family now, from choosing neighborhoods with good school districts to keeping every holiday tradition alive.

Find Your Season

Eva’s advice to anyone listening is simple. Find your season of life and pursue it without fear. Whether that means decorating your home, meditating, following your faith, or something else entirely, she believes happiness comes from leaning into where you are right now instead of waiting for permission.

You can find Eva on Instagram at homestyle_treasures or visit her at shophomestyletreasures.com

If there is one thing I hope you take from this conversation, it’s that the smallest details, a teacup, a punch bowl, a ten-dollar necklace can hold the biggest feelings. Go find what makes you feel that way, and don’t be afraid to build something around it.

About me:

I am currently a Master Facilitator for The Elliott Group in addition to being on the board of advisors for our Cultural Transformation Department in ELLIOTT ARMY.

With over 14 years of client service experience, I have held substantial leadership roles in the automotive industry. I’m also an accredited coach, a speaker, a triathlon finisher, and a wife. To contact me for engagements, you can reach me at [email protected].

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