Blast from the Past
HED: Blast from the Past
SUB: Clintonville-based the Atomic Shop establishes a transportative atmosphere while curating clothing and homegoods from all eras
Story and photos by NV Gay
When you first set foot inside the Atomic Shop in Clintonville, you do not walk into a clothing store: rather, you are transported into a meticulously curated home. Walking around, feeling a sense of comfort and welcoming, you begin to let your eyes wander not to the clothes, but to the design of the store. From the deer head mounted on the wall, to the retro 614 lamps, to the beautiful collected and preserved black and white photographs; it all welcomes you into a bygone era that you can’t place your finger on, but still feels familiar.
Owners and sisters Temple and Marek Miller have created a vintage utopia, styled directly after who they are. “We grew up in flea markets, nothing we owned was new. We learned to appreciate and to find the value in toss offs that others just gave up on,” Temple Miller said.
These sisters have always had a love for the past, thriving in the search for incredible vintage treasures. Growing up within the Atomic family, Temple and Marek have sought out to expand the Atomic brand by adding to the ever popular vintage threads establishments that make Columbus a truly beautiful and diverse city. It is what they have created though that sets them apart from the rest.
Opening on March 1st of 2024, The Atomic Shop opened after the success of the Atomic on High Markets that have been gracing the streets of Clintonville for years. The success of this market led Temple and Marek to create a brick and mortar location, a place where all vintage threads and patrons are welcome. Their goal was to create a home for their vintage items, while always having the mindset of providing a welcoming and comfortable place for their customers. “We treat our customers well, treat our vendors well,” Temple emphasized. “The one thing we want everyone to take away is that they are welcome here, always.”
As well, they are driven to support the community that has given them so much. They have done this by giving space within their store for artisans to display and sell their work. They allow eight of these artists to sell their work for a 90-day period. These items are prominently displayed for patrons to easily find in the store, as they want to make sure they uplift the local artists that make Columbus truly remarkable.
To find their items, they travel all over the country, searching through estate sales and yard sales, as well as having people contact them looking to sell their relatives’ wardrobes. “On trips and vacations, we always pack one bag for ourselves, and multiple bags for all the amazing unique items we find along the way,” said Temple.
They also have created a trade-in program, where people can come in and sell vintage threads and receive store credit to purchase a new item for their wardrobe. The idea behind The Atomic Shop is to give their customers an easy and comfortable place to find their next statement piece, as well as upcycle items that would otherwise be lost to the sands of time. Temple remarked, “I change all the time, I change everyday. All of my fashion is different, from antique 1930s to the 1990s; basically whatever I believe someone can make into a fantastic outfit.”
Having love for the past is great, but it is always key to understand the impact you wish to make on the future. For Temple and Marek, it is all about their community. Temple emphasized, “The plan for the future is to continue to build our community, not just with our vintage sellers, but with our vintage lovers. Columbus is an outdoor and vintage loving city. People love to shop outdoors, get their coffee and tote bags, and find those unique pieces that will become statements of their wardrobe.”
As with other vintage stores, Temple and Marek have to struggle against the narrative that vintage items should be priced at thrift market prices. Their advice to patrons is this: “Remember the hard work and care that goes into finding these pieces. These pieces are paid for fairly, cleaned and cared for, and given the love that they deserve.” Their goal is to provide shoppers with the experience of finding the perfect piece without having to dig for it. Very much, their store is set up to display each piece and let it shine. Temple explained, “I am a merchandiser, I need to see everything I own. I want each piece to be seen and to have its moment.”
One of Temple’s greatest loves comes from the design of the store. She spends much of her time making sure that the store reflects her mindset, and also welcomes her patrons. It is not so much that items are easy to find; but rather, that each item is curated to fit in perfectly with the home-like vibe of the store. Recently, Temple has worked to help design and curate other businesses, working with Honey Cup Coffee to design their new storefront, which opened on July 5th. Together, she and her sister Marek, are setting out to bring new life to vintage items, and create truly incredible places where these items can live once more.
The Atomic Shop is located at 3274 N. High St., open everyday 11am to 6pm. Their Atomic on High market happens every third Saturday of the month now through November from 12pm to 5pm, located next to their store. Also, they have partnered with South Winds Motels to create a summer night market, the last which will take place on August 8th, 5pm to 8pm. They are looking to create a Halloween market too, so stay tuned for more details.
Follow The Atomic Shop on Instagram @theatomicshop and check out their website www.theatomicshopcbus.com.
