When Melissa O’Brien and Tina Pignatelli worked for law firms in different cities, the sisters kept pictures of Park City on their desks. “We would say, “Keep your eyes on the prize!’” Melissa laughs. When their parents retired here, they made their move.
In 2021, they purchased the eclectic, much-beloved Right at Home consignment store from Marion Boland, Cindy Matsumoto, and Eileen Mullane, who opened in 2001.
“We were relentless in reminding them we were interested,” Melissa remembers. The timing wasn’t perfect - both were juggling full-time jobs and busy kids, “but we wanted it badly enough to make it work.” Fortunately, Marion, Cindy and Eileen helped every step of the way, forging lasting friendships.
Today, the family stamp is unmistakable. “Our ‘sister dynamic’ works well because I work alongside Tina’s husband Daniel,” Melissa smiles. They handle consignment and pricing while Tina manages accounting. “Our mom, Dyan, answers phones and our dad, Jim, tags lamps, while any of our four boys moves furniture,” she adds.
Tina’s experience with Park City Leadership (Class 24) and the Library Board helped her appreciate the connection of local businesses to the community. “People value businesses that feel authentic and community focused. Relationships really matter.” That belief runs deep: the family once closed the store for a day to attend a longtime customer’s memorial service. “She was important to us,” Melissa says simply. Many long-time employees predate the sisters’ purchase, “and we have some amazing hires. Everyone cares about the store and our customers.”
Though people often assume they have design backgrounds, “we’re really just Type A lawyers,” Melissa laughs. “It’s cool that you can reinvent yourself in your 40s in a new profession.”
Melissa and Tina relish the Mountainkind life they have built around Right at Home and the colorful stories they encounter daily. “This store is a book that could write itself,” Melissa smiles. “But the only way we’re able to do this is because of the people.”