WARREN, Ohio – A former dry-cleaning building on Pine Avenue has traded steam presses for chandeliers, transforming into a space that would not feel out of place in a Regency-era drawing room.

Vintage Venue for Timeless Gatherings celebrated with an official ribbon cutting Monday, marking the opening of a Victorian-inspired event space designed for small, intimate gatherings.

The venue, located at 545 Pine Ave. SE, offers seating for approximately 50 to 65 guests and is designed to host weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, graduations, office parties and holiday celebrations. The space features antique decor, vintage lighting and period furnishings intended to create a warm, classic atmosphere.

Owner Theresa Crew said the business began unexpectedly while preparing for her daughter’s wedding.

“My daughter was getting married, and I ran out of storage at home. So I bought this building with no plans at all,” Crew said. “My girlfriend kept on telling me to do it, and we just ended up doing it.”

Crew said the building, which previously housed a dry-cleaning business, required extensive renovations.

“It took about three years to fix this building,” she said. “It was really bad.”

The venue includes tables and chairs, complimentary chafing dishes and optional rentals such as antique china, glassware, tablecloths and silverware. Crew said she intentionally built an inventory to allow hosts to fully set their tables on-site.

“We’ve been buying the China and the silverware and everything, in case anybody wanted to set their tables,” she said. 

Crew said she personally restored many of the decorative elements throughout the space.

“I did all the chandeliers,” she said. “I bought them and redid them all.”

She said the renovation effort was supported by friends and family.

Although the ribbon cutting marked the official opening, the venue has already hosted events and secured future bookings.

“We’ve had a few baby showers already,” she said. 

Crew, who also works in real estate, said opening the venue was unplanned but welcomed.

“It is a new adventure, and I hope it goes well,” she said. 

Her love of antiques influenced the venue’s Victorian-inspired design. “I absolutely love antiques,” Crew said.

Looking ahead, she said her focus remains on the experience guests have in the space.

“My goals are just to make everybody have wonderful gatherings, a wonderful time and memories,” she said.

Pictured at top: Theresa Crew, center, owner of Vintage Venue for Timeless Gatherings, cuts the ribbon at her new venue in Warren.