The Laker/Lutz News

Bella Home Market

Simple Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special

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Handmade gifts always seem to be bundled with extra love, knowing that someone put time and effort into making it.

For Valentine’s Day, Bella Home Market in Lutz is featuring handmade products by local sellers that you can’t find in the Valentine’s Day aisle at big box stores.

Toffee To Go is making a return after its popularity during Christmas time. The treats come packed in a box and bow, ready to be delivered to your special someone. Jade’s Soap Shop also will be making an appearance. The Dunedin-based business specializes in aesthetic soaps of all unique patterns with a blend of specialized scents. Tres Monkey Skin Care will feature its products at Bella Home, for men and women. This includes hygiene products, soap scrubs and bath creams, many of which would make a great gift basket also paired with Jade’s Soap Shop.

“It’s spectacular we can feature so many local sellers during the holidays,” said owner Lou Malerba. “These thoughtful gifts are perfect for anyone on Valentine’s Day that likes gifts with meaning.”

Throughout the year, Bella Home Market is known for its upscale décor and memorable merchandise. They’re the only elite retailer of the popular DIY paint, Dixie Belle, that is locally based. Nowhere else in Lutz can you find every line of Dixie Belle product. The store offers all-inclusive classes throughout the year that teaches the Dixie Belle painting techniques, and sends you home with a decor item you’ve created.

For online orders and Dixie Belle class signups, visit BellaHomeMarket.com.

Published January 26, 20222

Bella Home Market Makes Top 100 Retailer List

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Bella Home Market in Lutz has always been known for its unique gifts and home décor finds; however, this month the retailer is being recognized for its dedication to the Dixie Belle brand.

For three years now, Bella Home Market has been named a Top 100 Retailer for its sales of the popular mineral paint, Dixie Belle. The achievement is not limited to local retailers, but out of all 2,400 sellers worldwide.

The VOC (volatile organic compound)-free paint gets delivered to Bella Home Market straight from the factory in Port Richey. It has the ability to adhere to a variety of surfaces, and comes in many colors that are perfect for creative projects. From wood furniture refurbishment, to more complex undertakings such as painting glass and metal, Dixie Belle proves reliable.

As an elite retailer of Dixie Belle, Bella Home Market carries every product line Dixie Belle offers, including its silk line of paint, which is a primer, paint and sealer all in one.

Lou Malerba, owner of Bella Home Market, hosts classes in-store to help guests learn the technique for working with the paint properly. The class includes access to its entire selection of colors and all of the materials are included in the price. Veterans of the product may even pick up new creative revelations with tools that may not have been at their disposal before.

For online orders and Dixie Belle class signups, visit BellaHomeMarket.com.

Published December 29, 2021

Christmas is already ‘upon us’

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Most of us still have a couple of months to shop for the holidays. But for Bella Home Market in Lutz, it’s come down to a couple of weeks.

The locally owned, gift and home store features upscale décor and memorable merchandise, and is a premier retailer of Dixie Belle paints. Each visitor has the opportunity to find something unique that no one else will have. Christmas is practically here for Bella Home because of the new seasonal merchandise that’s made its way through the door, with plenty more on the way.

“I can’t even begin to describe all that we have coming in,” said owner Lou Malerba.

The store features locally crafted products that will now fit the holiday season. This includes delicacies that make great grab gifts like Toffees To-Go with its kitchen located in Tampa, complete with box and bow. If you prefer the handmade gift option, Bella Home offers three upcoming classes that will provide an evening of personalized instruction using the popular Dixie Belle paints. You end the night with your own seasonal décor item, but the skillset learned is the gift that keeps on giving.

For online catalog orders and class signups, visit BellaHomeMarket.com.

Published October 27, 2021

Home Sweet Home at Bella Home Market

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Between the stock and the staff, there’s really nothing a creative mind can’t accomplish when it comes to home decorating by shopping at Bella Home Market in Lutz.

This locally owned specialty boutique offers a selection of high-end home décor and gifts, in a range of styles with reasonable prices. The store also dedicates space for homemade goods from local creators, such as organic soaps and wall art.

“We keep our product unique,” said Lou Malerba, store owner. “You won’t visit someone’s house and say, ‘I have that same painting on my wall,’ because our gifts are individualized.”

Owner Lou Malerba

Malerba became owner of Bella Home Market two years ago, right before COVID-19. A frequent shopper, he furnished much of his own home with merchandise from the store. He’s grown to love the community whose commitment to shop locally has kept his doors open.

“I’m absolutely a people person, and at my store, customer service is number one,” said Malerba. “People know if they need a unique piece, they can find it at Bella Home Market.”

What continues to set Bella Home Market apart from other home décor stores is its variety of versatile craft paints by Dixie Belle. In fact, Bella Home Market ranks in the top 100 world retailers for the brand.

After premiering every paint color offered by Dixie Belle, Malerba’s success led him to becoming the only store in the Lutz area to be named an Elite retailer. And, as an Elite, Malerba can carry every product Dixie Belle offers. This includes its cherished, original product with stains, waxes and scents, to its newer Silk line, an all-in-one application that works as a primer, pigment and topcoat.

“We have so much fun with Dixie Belle, they are constantly bringing in new products, and folks love them. Plus, they love the paint’s bendability, affordability and best of all, it’s VOC-free,” said Malerba.

(VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are toxic, binding chemicals found in other paints that give off the signature “paint fume” smell. Exposure to these fumes over time can have dangerous health effects.)

Bella Home Market goes the extra mile to show customers there is really nothing you can’t do with these paints. While most crafters use them for painting furniture (beautiful examples can be found in the store), Malerba and artist Rebecca Buzzeo hold classes every month to showcase the adaptability and versatility of the paint. These classes of individualized, all-inclusive projects tend to fill up fast, especially around the holidays.

“You’ll come, and we’ll show you the process and technique of Dixie Belle. By the end, you’ve learned new painting skills and get to keep a seasonal décor item you created,” said Malerba.

Throughout the month of October, Bella Home is hosting a raffle auction with the lucky winner taking home a themed gift basket filled with great in-store finds. All proceeds from the raffle will go to Moffit Cancer Center to support Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Shade, Stencil and Stain at Bella Home Market

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Bella Home Market in Lutz, which will soon be celebrating its second anniversary, has become known as a one-stop shop for making your home sweet home, even sweeter.

The locally owned specialty shop offers a unique selection of indoor décor and gifts in a range of styles. Around every corner there’s a one-of-a-kind, eye-catching find, from farmhouse and chic, to industrial and modern. Owner Lou Malerba also creates space in his store that features homemade goods, such as organic soaps and wall art, created by local artisans.

Bella Home Market is proud to be the only store in Lutz designated as an Elite retailer of Dixie Belle Craft Paints. Malerba and his associates offer monthly classes to demonstrate the paint’s incredible versatility, which can be used to paint furniture, jewelry, glass and canvas. Shoppers at Bella Home leave with a great new find, and also new skills to create their own treasures.

Bella Home Market also lets you browse its merchandise from home on its website and Facebook page. For anyone looking to enhance their DIY skills with Dixie Belle Paint, or browse home accents, visit BellaHomeMarket.com, or call 813-345-8038. The store is located in Tropical Village Plaza across from Walmart on U.S. 41, at 1532 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Published September 29, 2021

Shade, Stencil and Stain at Bella Home Market

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Bella Home Market is approaching its second anniversary in Lutz. So far, it has shown the community it’s a one-stop shop for making your home sweet home, even sweeter.

The locally owned specialty shop offers a unique selection of indoor décor and gifts, in a range of styles. From farmhouse and chic, to industrial and modern, around every corner there’s a one-of-a-kind, eye-catching find. Owner Lou Malerba also creates space in his store to feature homemade goods, like organic soaps and wall art, from local creators.

What sets Bella Home Market apart even further is that it is the only store in the Lutz area to be considered an Elite retailer of Dixie Belle Craft Paints. Malerba and his associates offer monthly classes to showcase the paint’s versatility, such as painting furniture, jewelry, glass and canvas. Guests to his store not only can leave with a great new find, but the skills to create one of their own.

As of last year, Bella Home Market now lets you browse from home. For anyone looking to enhance their DIY skills with Dixie Belle Paint or browse home accents, visit BellaHomeMarket.com, or call 813-345-8038.

Located at the Tropical Village Plaza, 1532 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Lutz 33549

Published August 25, 2021

It’s beauty by design at Bella Home Market

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Bella Home Market — a new shop situated in Lutz — owes a lot to mother and daughter relationships.

Jennifer Wagner, owner of Bella Home Market, and her daughter, Sophia Wagner, the store’s assistant manager, are partners in a new Lutz store.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Growing up in Wisconsin, Jennifer Wagner soaked up her mother’s do-it-yourself approach to interior design. She took on home remodeling projects and did them with style.

“I got my taste and flair from her,” said Wagner.

Now, she and her daughter, Sophia Wagner, are putting their talents together at Bella Home Market, a shop that brims with

eye-catching home décor and artwork for any room in the house.

Bella’s vibe is eclectic, from vintage chic to brand new.

The shop is a treasure trove for gifts, candles, soaps and scents, and also is a dealer for the Dixie Belle Chalk Paint brand.

The shop opened in June at Tropical Village Plaza, 1532 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., next to The Breakfast Nook.

Jennifer Wagner opened the shop after years of encouragement from her friends to take the plunge into retail.

Bella Home Market has gifts as well as paintings, sculptures and other home accessories.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Wagner)

She has a background in homebuilding, but also experience in staging homes — for family and friends — to make them more appealing to potential buyers.

“They told me ‘you have a knack for this’,” she said.

Her friend and founder of the Dixie Belle Paint Company, Suzanne Fulford, alerted Wagner to the vacant storefront at Tropical Village. The paint company is across the way at 1641 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

She immediately liked the “small town feel” of the plaza, with shops clustered around a courtyard.

“It was perfect,” Jennifer Wagner said. “I love this center.”

She brought her daughter, Sophia, into the venture as assistant manager.

Sophia Wagner is a sophomore at the University of South Florida, working toward a mass communications degree. Future plans might include film school or news broadcasting.

A table display at Bella Home Market is filled with eye catching colorful treasures for home decorating and gifts.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Wagner)

She took off a semester to help her mother open the store, but will be a full-time student again next year.

But, in her spare time, she will still be working at Bella Home Market.

One goal for the new year is to increase painting classes – featuring Dixie Belle Chalk Paint. Crafting enthusiasts can learn techniques to give furniture or other items a shabby chic look.

Bringing in new items to the shop is a year-round adventure.

Mother and daughter go on buying trips to Dallas, Atlanta and North Carolina, with an eye for one-of-a-kind items.

Tables, shelves and wall space are filled with mirrors, candle holders, railroad lanterns, jumbo-size Edison light bulbs, delicate metal butterflies, and replicas of farm tractors made from nuts, screws and bolts.

Among their finds also are paintings and sculptures by fair trade artists in places such as Haiti. But, national artists, including metal and 3-D vision sculptor Travis Burford, and local artist, Jessica Marcus, are represented, too.

“You support the community,” said Jennifer Wagner. But, she has another wish for the new year.

“I want to find more local artists.”

Holiday hours for the store in December are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop is open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To find out more, visit BellaHomeMarket.com.

Published December 14, 2016