Once Upon A Consignment Shop

Do you know how Evilena’s Red Dresser came to be?  Well, pull up a cozy chair, pour a warm cup of tea, and enjoy the inspiring story of Evilena’s Red Dresser!

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, in a not-so-very-far-away land of Frankfort, Illinois, there lived a nurse named Jan who had a desire and a dream of helping others. She had already been actively serving others through her job as a nurse for 30 years, but she wanted to do more.  Her interest led her to take some business and marketing classes at a locaI college. After much prayer and planning, she believed that God would have her to open a furniture consignment business.  Jan had a knack for repurposing things, and her vision for transformation - giving new life to home decor -  launched the opening of Evilena’s Red Dresser.  Jan’s favorite color is red, and furniture was her main product, hence the name, Evilena’s Red Dresser.  The store is named in honor of Jan’s mother, Evilena Molthan, who greatly influenced her passion for frugality, conservation, and transformation. 

Evilena Molthan was the queen of recycling and repurposing!  She loved visiting the shop and getting to know the customers.  For 9 years, Jan held a festive birthday party each year in April for her mother at the store.  Evilena lived to be 101 years old, and she was so proud of her daughter for the lovely shop that was created by Jan and her helpers at Evilena’s Red Dresser.

Jan is a wife, a mom of 3, and a grandmother.  She is a woman of faith, and relies on God for wisdom and direction in the day-to-day operations of Evilena’s Red Dresser.  She has a talented team of helpers who arrange the store, create beautiful displays, assist customers, perform consignment in-take, photograph and list items on the website, price and display on the sales floor, and ship out items for online purchases.  As this year progresses, you will have the opportunity to get to know these helpers more, as we share interesting spotlight stories featuring Evilena’s employees and friends. 

The original Evilena's Red Dresser opened in 2009, and was located across the street from the current location.  In 2014, Jan opened Evilena’s 2, which featured clothing and accessories.  In 2015, she consolidated both stores at the current location, next to what was then Starbucks.

In 2018, Starbucks moved across the parking lot into a larger space, and Evilena’s expanded into the former Starbucks space next door.  This was a very exciting development, and enabled the shop to take in more items and give customers more room to shop, and more inventory from which to choose!

Evilena Molthan’s legacy lives on in the business as it continues today.  When you walk into Evilena’s Red Dresser, you are greeted with a warm welcome, and a collection of carefully curated consignment decor for the home, as well as a vast array of clothing and accessories in all sizes. The shop carries regular women’s sizes, as well as petites and plus sizes.  You can find shoes, coats, jewelry, purses, and many unique designer pieces at affordable prices.  

Furniture is showcased in lovely vignette settings, giving the customer design inspiration and ideas!  New items arrive daily, and you’ll find fresh inventory every time you visit.  The shop is an eclectic mix of traditional, retro, vintage, boho, rustic, and redeemed/upcycled items!  Jan loves transforming furniture with fabulous Farmhouse Paint, which is also sold in the store.  You can find a unique item, select a favorite color, buy a brush, and get going on your very own furniture transformation as soon as you get home!  Be sure to send us a pic of your completed project! We love to see how our customers create beautiful home decor with the items they purchase at Evilena’s!

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Evilena’s offered diverse and interesting events such as painting classes, Bible studies, fashion shows, and instructional lectures on topics like home staging and interior decorating.  Hopefully, one day soon, we will be able to host more classes, gatherings, and events.

Jan’s mission for the store is to help people through times of transition, as well as encouraging their creative aspirations!  Evilena’s serves customers by taking in their gently-loved items on consignment, and offering them for sale to other customers who are looking for affordable, unique, quality pieces.  In this way, Jan is able to help both parties - those who are selling, and those who are buying.  The store has given Jan a broad reach in her desire to help others.  Her goal is toward excellence, and she strives to offer quality and affordability.  A percentage of Evilena’s sales regularly goes toward supporting the needs of others in the community.  Your consigned items and your purchases have a far reach!  Shopping this local small business also helps to support the employees who work at Evilena’s.  These are real people with families who live in our local community, not a corporate management team who does not personally know the customer.  When you call the store, you can talk to the owner.  Often, Jan will personally greet you when you walk in. She is a hands-on business owner, and welcomes customer interaction.  Evilena’s staff will pray for you and for the prayer requests you put in the prayer box.  You are welcome to take one of the free Bibles offered at Evilena’s.  This is a family-owned business with a desire to build connections with customers.  Transforming furniture is just one small part of Evilena’s Red Dresser.  Jan’s hope and prayer is that her customers will understand the transforming power of the gospel of Christ, and that Evilena’s will be known as a bright light in a dark world.  Please know you are always welcome to chat with Jan if you would like to talk about how faith and prayer can transform any situation!

February, the month of love, perfectly reflects the motto and creed of Evilena’s Red Dresser: 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no greater commandment than these.”

Mark 12:30-31

Evilena’s Red Dresser Creed

• We believe that our consignors and customers are important to the life of the store.

• We believe that our business is to help people in all types of transition.

• We believe in being fair in our pricing for our consignors to make money, while our customers find affordable merchandise.

• We believe in giving back to the community:  A percentage of our monthly sales goes to community organizations near and far.

• We believe in recycling:  Expired items are donated to a not-for-profit organization where they will continue to be a blessing.

• We believe in honesty.

• We believe in good customer service

• We believe in kindness and grace for our staff and customers

• We believe in doing our best, while knowing that perfection is impossible.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed learning a bit about the history of Evilena’s Red Dresser, and thank you for taking the time to read about our mission!

And in other news...

You Are Invited!  

Please join us on Saturday, February 20, 2021 at Evilena’s Red Dresser’s Open House to celebrate 12 years of business in Frankfort!