Longtime home decor store going out of business

Aunt Ruth’s Attic, 4103 Centennial Blvd., is closing its doors at month’s end.

“It’s just time for me to close," owner Ruth Becker said. "I’m at retirement age and my lease is up, and it’s just good timing."

Aunt Ruth’s Attic opened in the fall of 1999 at 111 N. Tejon St. downtown. The store had a narrow staircase leading to a small upstairs, or attic — the inspiration for the store name. The shop has moved a few times since and has been in its current location since 2009.

The store sells home decor, gifts and antiques. The business has felt the pinch of the economic downturn, Becker acknowledged.

“The economy definitely has slowed as far as home decor,” she said.

Becker, 69, calls the closing a “semi-retirement” for her. She has had a space at the Colorado Country Antique Mall, 2109 Broadway St., for a couple of years and said she will maintain a presence there.

“It’ll be very small scale, but I’ll definitely be continuing to bring in new and different things,” she said.

The closing will, however, mean retirement for Jada, a Siberian husky who works at the store as a greeter and belongs to Becker’s daughter.

The shop will close Jan. 31. A going-out-of-business sale promises “significantly reduced prices” in the coming weeks.

“It’s been a good run,” Becker said. “I’ve had a lot of good customers over the years, so I’ve enjoyed it."