BANNER ELK, N.C. — For seven years Gilded Age Antiques has been a love for Olivia Daly. She walked inside and knew this is where she belonged.

"I just have such a connection to this place. I love antiques. I love designing. It's part of who I am," Daly said.

Preserving the history inside the store is important as well. Since 1993 containers from Europe have made their way to this small town in North Carolina full of items to sell all over the world.

"You walk into our showroom and think 'Wow, this belongs in New York City,'" Daly said.

Just six months ago this showroom full of English majolica, designer handbags and other rare pieces looked different. It was full of mud and silt. There was 7 feet of water that left behind so much silt that she was able to touch the ceiling. Now, the other area of the building has been gutted but is not ready to be opened yet.

"You can still see some of the dust moving around. The dust hasn't settled," Daly said.

Although she has spent the last six months working to get the showroom reopened there is another constant reminder of the storm on the same property, her home, which she now calls a grave of her life before the storm.

She was inside when the storm came through. As the water rose, Daly, her 2-year-old daughter, her assistant and her partner left the home and went two doors down. They watched as pieces of furniture from the store floated away.

"It was just so surreal. It's hard seeing your livelihood float away," Daly said.

She said they will never forget what happened that day. She said this is a reminder of how strong the mountains truly are.

They are hoping to open the other section of their building after the summer.