This year, the consignment shop, Free the Monkey, has fell into the hands of new ownership after the previous owners moved to Chicago. The new owner, Julie Mills was offered the opportunity to revamp and own Free the Monkey, which she renamed Julie’s Cubby. 

Mills has a passion for consignment and repurposing used items, and she owns a second consignment store for furniture called Julie’s Cubby Home and Furniture Goods Consignment that she opened last year. 

“When Free the Monkey closed their furniture store, I opened mine shortly after,” Mills explained. 

When Mills received Julie’s Cubby, she redid the entire store from floor to ceiling. She painted, added new shelving for the walls, added new lighting, and changed the floor layout. Mills also changed the take-in process for her store. While Free the Monkey required appointments for donations, Mills accepts clothing seven days a week. 

“I will say I’m very proud of the space. I think people will love it, and I just want it to be someplace in the community that people can come to and enjoy.” 

Mills values creating a warm and welcoming space, and she has spent countless hours and dollars to turn the building into something she can take pride in. Other than a few hiccups throughout the process, creating Julie’s Cubby has gone relatively smoothly. 

“Obviously, we’ve put our blood, sweat, and tears into it, but nothing has been too difficult,” Mills said. 

Even though Free the Monkey has closed, Mills has taken the opportunity to add her own spin to clothing shop while maintaining the roots of the original store. I would highly recommend anyone with the opportunity to check out Julie’s Cubby!