11/27/2012 Urban Junk offers something different By ELISA SAND, Staff Reporter Jeannine Heilman (left) and Monie Issenhuth stand in one corner of their new business called Urban Junk. Monie Issenhuth and Jeannie Heilman promise an ever-changing inventory at Urban Junk. The store opened on Friday for Black Friday shoppers and the owners saw a steady stream of visitors on their first day. The business, located at 108 S. Egan Ave., features a variety of home decor items and repurposed furniture. Shoppers, who must walk through the Voila Nail Salon to get to Urban Junk, were buzzing with compliments and one customer went so far as to say this type of store is "just what Madison needs." While the space is small, the inventory is eclectic with a wide variety of art for the wall or household decorations that range from decorated vases, lamps and statutes to a bowl molded out of a record and individual letters from a neon sign. Other specialty items include yarn-wrapped letters for a child's room, felt-covered tiles reinvented as coasters, and unique pieces of jewelry. Heilman said she and Issenhuth found common ground with their passions for finding old furniture and giving it new life. "We've always had an interest in recycling old things and repurposing furniture," Heilman said. "We decided to turn our passion into a purpose." Heilman said they wanted to start small to test the response, but the women have an expansive inventory of items yet to put on display. "Come often," Issenhuth said. "It'll always be different." Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Heilman and Issenhuth both expressed surprise at the number of people who visited on Friday, but also commented on customers who found their way in before they even opened.

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