When Passion Becomes Business

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When Passion Becomes Business

Very Artsy owner Veronica Cerda-Ayala stands at her checkout counter which was once an old restaurant cashier stand. Ayala transformed the counter by adding the molding details on the front and painting in a trendy ombre pattern.
Very Artsy owner Veronica Cerda-Ayala stands at her checkout counter which was once an old restaurant cashier stand. Ayala transformed the counter by adding the molding details on the front and painting in a trendy ombre pattern.

Whether writing, playing a sport, dancing or creating something new, our hobbies are a labor of love and enjoyment. Every once in a while, we are lucky enough to turn our hobbies into something more. This is exactly what Veronica Cerda-Ayala did. 

After 18 years of being a teacher, Ayala decided she was ready to pursue her true passion … home decor. She began several years ago in her very own home. She was looking for a dining room table and the lack of originality she was finding in stores was disappointing. Ayala wanted something bold and bright … a red dining table. It took her six months to find the perfect vintage table. She then used it to make her vision come to life. 

“I fell in love with the whole process, with the idea of having something that nobody else has. I loved having something that took so much time and energy to put together. That’s just so much more valuable than having something everyone else has,” said Ayala.

For years, she created custom work from her home but she decided to do more. In mid April of this year, she opened her own store front, Very Artsy. With her loyal online following, she has been able to successfully venture from home hobbyist to successful female entrepreneur. Her store features a selection of her larger statement pieces as well as smaller home decor accents and custom door hangings. 

Ayala’s love of flowers makes vases a fun, cute project. The unique shape of the metal lantern made this piece something she just had to buy and refinish.
Ayala’s love of flowers makes vases a fun, cute project. The unique shape of the metal lantern made this piece something she just had to buy and refinish.

Vintage Success

Whether working on vintage pieces she scoured the sale listings for or working on custom requests from customers, she continues to bring her bold, colorful style to furniture and decor. 

Her passion has always lied in transforming old forgotten vintage pieces into something that is truly one of a kind. “I’m very selective about what I buy. I try and find something that is completely different and out of the box. I try and find pieces that I know there’s not going to be another one like,” said Ayala.

Ayala says she is drawn to things like old gumball machines or vintage carousel horses. These items have been left to deteriorate and have become forgotten. Bringing them back to life to become something more, and hopefully become a family heirloom, is what drives her passion.

“I’m hoping my customers get something that will stay in their family and be passed down. It’s going to be around a lot longer than I am, and that’s just so inspirational,” said Ayala. 

This before and after shows a month-long process of transforming a vintage armoire into a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
This before and after shows a month-long process of transforming a vintage armoire into a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Unique Future

Walking through Verya Atsy, you will see a unique style that is all her own. Although inspired by the familiar black and white check that we have come to recognize, she combines it with color pallets and patterns that make her pieces truly stand out. She also combines several techniques, including trendy ombre, to give her work its own feel.

Her passion lies in providing her customers with a truly unique look that is all their own. Ayala hopes to continue to expand her business by offering her style to home and business owners through her newly added interior decorating services. 

Thinker…Creator…Doer. Beth is passionate about life, learning, and all things creative. She has known from an early age that she had a love for journalism and media and spent her time in high school and college as part of the school yearbook, newspaper, and television station. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Texas Pan-American and immediately went on to earn her Master of Arts in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin. Beth has 15+ years working in all aspects of the media industry including: client services, graphic design, media creation for print, web, and television, and sales. Yet, she constantly strives to become more knowledgeable and accomplished within the field she loves. Aside from work, she has an active life she truly enjoys. With her husband, she owns her own business in which she uses her creativity to design and sell party printables as well as build, refinish, and paint wood items such as door hangers, decorations, and furniture. She also spends time with her family, husband, two daughters and sweet animals. A few of the things she loves… reading, purple, butterflies, the beach, chocolate, flowers, animals, good quotes, roller coasters and Chinese food.

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