Yellow house home to new business in Dubois

After purchasing the four acres across the road from their home in Dubois, Tiffany Bauer’s husband Jon had wanted to tear down the yellow-sided house on the property.

But, tomorrow that house will host a grand opening for Tiffany’s new store, The Yellow House Designs.

Tiffany didn’t start out intending to open the new business. She had been operating a successful medical billing practice for a group of Jasper radiologists for about 18 years.

She and a three-person staff were busy assisting the practice until it became part of Memorial Hospital. Once that occurred, Memorial took over the billing and her company’s services were no longer needed.

“Being a business owner for so many years, I knew I didn’t want to go get a 9-to-5 job,” Tiffany explained.

Tiffany, who has been artistic and crafty since her childhood, had been building a scrapbooking  and card-making business giving classes and selling supplies in the evening. That business and a teenage daughter’s wish to have some space for herself is what saved the yellow house from being demolished.

All of Tiffany’s scrapbooking supplies had taken over their basement but when the couple’s teenage daughter, Kaitlyn, wanted to move into the basement, Tiffany decided to move the scrapbooking over to the home.

After it was renovated — the home was in pretty bad shape — the home served as her new base for scrapbooking and leading the classes. Then, with the loss of her billing business, Tiffany decided she would turn the yellow house into a new store featuring creations from artisans across the state.

“I have always been crafty and always done custom orders myself,” Tiffany said. “I decided to open it up to sell my own items as well as other artists’ items. It is kind of a one-stop shop for people to get things for their home.”

The handmade items include candles from an Indianapolis candlemaker; handmade bags and signs; barn-wood creations and decorations; handmade cornhole bags; as well as various upcycled artistic and home decorative pieces. According to Tiffany, about 90 percent of her store’s items are from these other artists. The remaining ten percent consists of her own creations and some items she has picked up from vendors.

Plus, she carries an extensive line of Northeast Dubois Jeep memorabilia; something that she says is lacking in the area.

“I want my customers to be able to find that one-of-a-kind item,” Tiffany said.

On Saturday, Tiffany is throwing a grand opening party from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Yellow House located at 6618 N. State Road 545. She will offer gifts to the first 50 shoppers through the door. The vendors and artists featured in her store will also be at the store. A mini photo shoot will be offered as well as lemon shake-ups.

The store’s operating hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. She is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The store can be reached by phone at 812-631-2581; email at trbauer33@aim.com; or on their Facebook page, The Yellow House Designs.

Tiffany and Jon have three children; the aforementioned 18-year-old Kaitlyn as well as 15-year-old Griffen and 13-year-old Jordan.