Baldwin Park business trying to pivot after leak leaves them closed
ORLANDO, Fla. —
A pipe leak above Lafayette & Rushford, a home decor store in Baldwin Park, has caused significant damage, forcing the store to close. The owners don’t know when they’ll be able to reopen.
Kristen Painter, co-owner of the store, described the impact of the leak, which occurred last Thursday.
“It caused catastrophic damage,” Painter said, adding that the pipe was connected to the apartments upstairs and caused parts of the ceiling tiles to collapse.
While the damage might not appear severe at first glance, Painter said the entire ceiling and all the ceiling tiles need to be replaced.
Painter said that the situation is complicated by the involvement of multiple parties, including a landlord, an apartment complex, and an association, which need to determine responsibility before remediation can begin.
Once the process starts, Painter said, “They’re estimating about fifteen to twenty days. So for a store that’s open seven days a week, you know we’re only closed two days a year and going into the busiest time of the year, it might as well be an eternity because every day that we’re closed puts us further behind.”
The closure comes during a difficult year for Painter and her husband.
“We had a home fire about a year ago and lost everything, and then seeing this happen has just been devastating,” Painter said.
Painter also shared that the past several months have been overwhelming due to her personal health challenges.
“Unfortunately for the last several months I’ve been dealing with breast cancer, so it’s overwhelming,” she said.
Without an online store, the couple has turned to social media to keep their business afloat.
“We just made kind of a quick catalogue of some of our top sellers,” Painter said, referring to posts showcasing their home decor, kids’ items, and holiday finds. Customers can message them to purchase items, and the couple arranges for pickup or complimentary delivery.
Despite the challenges, Painter remains determined to persevere.
“We made it through COVID, we made it through the house fire, we’ve made it through cancer, we have to make it through this,” she said.