Photos by JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times

Cynthia Lease listens to Lisa Anthony talk about The Upscale Attic, the Christiansburg consignment shop owned by Anthony and Natalie Siegel.

First-time store owners Lisa Anthony (left) and Natalie Siegel run The Upscale Attic, a consignment shop that sells gently used home furnishings and a few new items.

CHRISTIANSBURG-- That candelabra collecting dust in the attic. The dish set that wasn't on the wedding registry but showed up anyway. The living room couch that clashes with the new wallpaper.

For the past year, Natalie Siegel and Lisa Anthony have been selling gently used home furnishings and a few new items in their Christiansburg consignment shop, The Upscale Attic.

"Ninety percent is consignment," Anthony said. "It's kind of fun because you never know what will come through the door. It's like a treasure hunt in reverse."

Anyone can bring in an items to sell. If accepted, an item stays in the store for 90 days. If it doesn't sell, the owner takes it back home -- although Siegel and Anthony often make exceptions for large furniture. After a certain date, an item's price is often reduced.

But "some people have learned the hard way not to wait, because the item has sold before they came back for it," Anthony said.

Neither has owned a store before -- Anthony helped her husband start his dentistry office in Blacksburg and Siegel is an artist -- but they bonded over a mutual love of bargain shopping when Siegel painted a mural in Anthony's home.

They visited other consignment shops for ideas, and came up with criteria for the Upscale Attic: a soothing atmosphere, items that look nearly new and, most importantly, a clean, pleasant aroma -- no musty smells.

"The shop is just very beautiful and relaxing," said Rebekah Paulson of Blacksburg. "You can just sit on the couch, pick up a magazine and talk to Lisa and Natalie and relax."

Paulson said she visits the store about every other week to bring in items to consign or to buy merchandise.

"They're very personable, very fair with consigners and clients," Paulson said.

One thing she likes about the store is the Wish Book, in which shoppers can write items they seek, such as a piece or furniture. Siegel or Anthony will call if that item comes into the store.

Items sold can't be stained, smell bad, have tears or lots of marks or scratches.

They say they use the "ick factor" to judge upholstered items. If someone were to look at the upholstery on an item and say "ick" because of dirt or stains, it doesn't go in the store, Siegel said.

One thing neither woman anticipated was hearing all of the stories behind the items people brought in to sell.

"It can be a little emotional for some people to part with certain items," Siegel said. "We hear so much of the history and stories of things."