Discovering Magic in Ashburn

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Kimberly Harris, designer, creator, and founder of A New View is an unparalleled force. That she operates in Ashburn, Virginia is a big benefit to all of us in the Washington, Metro area. Let me share their story and how I discovered this treasure.

While sipping coffee and planning how to accomplish my very lengthy to-do list, I came across a touching social media post about a lovely design and gift shop , A New View. The photo captured me. I wanted to know more, meet the creative woman, and support and promote her business.

^{Kim is totally hands-on and crafts every piece of furniture, ornament, and decorations herself. Power tools – not a problem.}

I had several meetings across town. It was rainy and cool. After my last meeting, I thought about the shop and how I could promote them to benefit the community even more. I put their address in my GPS and discovered they were on the straight line of my route. I drove straight to the shop.

I fell in love the moment I walked in. Kim’s words, “We want everyone who comes here to feel at home, to feel comfortable, to take off their shoes and relax here.” The first thing I noticed was a gorgeous eucalyptus wreath hanging in the “living room” but it is not just a wreath; it is part of a large wall hanging that is fabric stretched inside a frame with a wreath attached. The impact and the levels of interest were intriguing. Who thinks of that? Someone who sees beauty and potential everywhere and has a 3D+ imagination.

I felt a kindred spirit with Kim. Giving back and supporting each other; that shared vision of lifting up our community made everything click.

^{Wall art and pillows: handmade}

Meet the Magic Makers

Kim Harris and her marketing manager, Lanie Sano, run A New View. These two women are creating something extraordinary in our community. Kim is the artist, artisan, and visionary who can look at a beat-up old table and see a work of art. Lanie handles the marketing, helps spread the word about Kim’s creations, and beautiful hand-sewn pillows.

Their partnership began with perfect timing and a touch of fate. About six years ago, Lanie stopped into the store on the first day of her son’s pre-K year. It was the first time she was free with some available time since both of her children were in school. She stepped in, met Kim, and the rest is history.

What makes Kim’s creative vision remarkable is that while she has Lanie’s invaluable marketing support, the physical transformation of A New View is a one-woman operation. “One woman built it,” she says with satisfaction, and it shows. While other stores might have armies of people setting up displays, Kim does the hands-on creative work herself. She does it fresh every single day, especially during the Christmas season when she works through the night to create new arrangements that will surprise and delight visitors. A New View is Loudoun County’s third largest furniture stores — run and stocked by an ambitious visionary.

^{Discarded furniture sourced from thrift and donation shops are repainted, rejuvenated, and reimagined}

Kim learned her skills from her father. She can wield power tools and an electric stapler. She refinishes furniture pieces that most people would haul to the dump. She takes discarded items and turns them into fresh beautiful things that cause people to pause and ponder the possibilities.

^{An unwanted and unloved chair returned to life and to its owner with Kim’s vision and love}

The Art of Seeing Potential

Amid the beautiful inventory, the amazing refurbishments, and the outside the box art which all coordinate seamlessly and effortlessly, what impressed me the most is Kim’s heart. Kim shared a story about a gentleman who inherited a chair from his mother. His wife wanted it gone. Kim took it in, worked her magic, and transformed it into a beautiful, relevant, and interesting chair. When she showed him the finished piece, she could see how happy it made him. She gave it back to him. When he tried to pay her, she said no. Making him happy was enough. Yes, and the wife loved the chair.

This philosophy extends to everything Kim touches. Her signature “Vulture Boards” tell the perfect story. When an old chicken coop in Ashburn was scheduled for demolition, Kim asked them not to destroy it. Instead, she salvaged those weathered boards to “give people a little bit of Ashburn history back.” Each board gets meticulously sanded, cleaned multiple times, and finished with multiple layers of polyurethane. At around $45 depending on size, these pieces of local history become perfect serving trays for tailgates or charcuteries with subtle handles making carrying them a breeze.

^{Reclaimed wood from a local barn has a new use and life thanks to Kim’s skill and creativity}

A New View is not just about business for Kim. This is about community and connection and making people’s lives more beautiful while preserving the small bits of heritage of Old Ashburn.

A reclaimed dining table is the background for this expansive wall art perfect for a room with tall ceilings and big windows

More Than Furniture

Kim makes simmering spice blends by hand. She slices and dries her own oranges and fruits. These little bags have everything needed to make a lovely simmering pot. The carefully blended fruits, salts, and plants present understated fragrances that waft throughout the home without harsh chemicals. Just add water and bring to a boil. Then enjoy the comforting fragrance.

Candles enhance an environment by adding warmth, movement, and fragrance. The pure soy wax candles are poured (in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) into vessels that Kim sources from thrift and resale stores. Many of them are drinking glasses. Some, she transforms into beautiful candle holders. Once the candle burns down, they are easy to clean, then the vessels can become drinking glasses, vases, or whatever is in the imagination. Nothing goes to waste. Everything gets a new life. “Instead of throwing the used candle vessels away, we offer them at Christmas, as decorated holiday candle holders,” Kim explains, emphasizing her philosophy that everything deserves a new view.

Holiday Magic That Moves Hearts

Every November, A New View transforms into Winter Wonderland. Last year’s theme was the Polar Express. Kim created a train that looked like it was crashing through the wall by using a dining table, a pair of coffee tables, a clock and a bit of creative magic. A secret is that Kim hand makes the ornaments, the garlands, and all of the other decorations.

What makes Kim’s Christmas displays extraordinary is that she restocks and rearranges everything daily throughout the season. She works through the night to ensure that every visit offers something new, something fresh, and something delightful. The emotional impact is profound. Customers occasionally tear up when they walk in, some ask if they can get married there, and Kim once arranged a surprise Santa visit where a grandfather surprised all his grandchildren. They did host an elopement once.

During the first few days of the holiday display, people line up around the building waiting to enter. That speaks volumes.

^{All products of Kim’s imagination! One-of-a-kind handmade ornaments, repurposed furniture and a clock create the train, and each garland is hand assembled. Sleeping is optional.}

Building Community, One Event at a Time

Throughout the year, Kim and Lanie host Sip and Shop nights, Bingo games, and other events that support local nonprofits. However, their commitment to community goes deeper. Kim provides space for local women-owned businesses who do not have storefronts of their own, to place some of their inventory in her store. She partners with businesses including Trilogy Bay House for cookie decorating workshops.

“We’re here to help keep the Old Ashburn heritage alive,” Kim says, explaining their mission to maintain the heart of Old Ashburn while growing with the community. When you shop there, you get beautiful things for your home and help good causes in our community.

^{The kitchen in the shop serves as “heart” for social gatherings and community events, all appointed by Kim}

What Makes It Special

Kim calls her style “modern farmhouse,” but it is more than that. She mixes everything from French details to clean modern lines, and it all works together beautifully. That is a talent. Assembling unrelated items from different period with different uses and making them a cohesive decorative statement takes skill, artistry, and a keen eye for design. Her signature brushed gold touches make painted old cabinets look fresh and current.

“Why buy cheap furniture that falls apart when these old pieces are made of real wood with proper joinery?” Kim asks. “All they need is some paint and new hardware.” The results speak for themselves.

The big wall art throughout the shop? Those are Kim’s creations. That stunning piece with the gold lines started as somebody’s old tabletop. The Vulture Boards that grace the walls carry stories of Ashburn’s agricultural past. Imagine that history in your home, even if Ashburn is not your home.

^{Kim envisions and creates settings that are warm, cozy, yet effortlessly elegant}.

Making House Calls

Projecting an item or grouping in a home that is miles away is difficult for most people. Kim makes house calls all over Loudoun County. She shows up with a car full of beautiful things and helps you create the room of your dreams. She will even hang your artwork. Aside from house calls, Kim will create designs in the store for customers to visualize. No vision of your own? Kim has plenty to share.

^{If you can’t make up your mind or need help creating a setting for your home, Kim makes house calls}

See for Yourself

In a world where everything is mass-produced and disposable, places like A New View matter. Kim and Lanie believe that everything deserves a new chance, that our homes should make us feel peaceful and happy, and that supporting each other makes the community stronger.

Every piece in their shop has a story. The Vulture Boards carry the history of Ashburn’s agricultural heritage. The candle vessels get a second life as drinkware. The pillows are hand-sewn by Lanie. The candles and scents are Kim’s own recipes, made from ingredients that she slices and dries herself.

This is not just shopping. This is experiencing what happens when creativity, community spirit, and historical preservation come together in the heart of Old Ashburn

^{The color scheme allows mixing, matching, and inventing for years to come – everything blends yet nothing matches.}

Come for a Visit

A New View is located on Ashburn Road, and it is worth the trip. Whether you need something specific or just want to experience the magic of love-based transformation, Kim and Lanie will welcome you into their world where discarded treasures become conversation pieces and every visit reveals something new.

Sometimes we need a reminder that beautiful things can come from unexpected places; that with a little vision and a lot of heart, anything can be transformed into a treasure. Kim proves this every single day, working through the night to ensure that each customer discovers their own piece of reimagined history for modern life.

^{The 2025 Magic begins on the second weekend of November. Mark your calendar.}

Stop by A New View. See what Kim and Lanie have created. You will leave smiling, and you might just leave with a piece of local history that’s been given its own new view.

A New View Home Decor
20800 Ashburn Road
Ashburn, Virginia 20147
703.852.0204
newviewashburn@gmail.com

For information about the unique pieces, Vulture Boards, house calls, and upcoming Winter Wonderland, give Kim a call or drop by. Follow the journey of giving everything — and everyone — a new view.