It’s been a couple weeks since we officially opened, and I’ve finally had a chance to catch my breath – and share some photos! It feels like this has been SUCH a long time coming, but when I really take stock of how much we’ve done over the past 6 months or so, I can see where the time has gone. It’s been so worth it, though! I am loving being in this space, having more room, being able to display all the fabrics and quilts, and really see the prints working together. I’m also enjoying being able to meet some of my customers and be a part of the community here. And it’s been pretty amazing to see the space come together and really take shape. Our customers seem to love it, too! Here’s a little summary of 6 months of work:
As you can see, it’s a big change! And each step of the way we *got* to learn a new skill…
…Carpet un-laying…
…demolition (you should see the slo-mo video we got!)…
…ceiling painting (I really loved that mini-scaffolding – thanks for the loan, Jim!)…
…tile restoration…
…furniture building…
… and all about paint guns!
Once the hard labor was done, we got to really have fun with the details and make it a space that feels good to us. So many aspects of the shop have stories behind them, and it’s been a lot of fun to seek out special pieces and put together the displays.
We used the boards from our old fence to panel our room divider and the bathroom wall. A friend of ours, who happened to live in our house 20 years before we bought it, stopped into the shop right after we opened, and we laughed when we realized that he had actually been the one who built the fence 30 years ago.
Our new friend Warren custom-built the fabric shelves, because I was having a lot of trouble finding shelves that would accommodate 3 tiers of fabric.
The long shelves in the front of the shop were made from a Modesto Ash tree that had to be cut down near our local library. They’re beautiful and strong, and I love seeing them in the shop every day.
Our jewelry display was bought from a nice woman we met on craigslist, and the display boxes were from an old hardware store. We painted them white on the inside to show off the jewelry.
Our electrician, Paul, brought us 3 wooden spools from a job site, and once we painted them up they’ve become our favorite shop displays!
And then we’ve found lots of beautiful wooden and metal details that bring the warmth of well-used natural materials.
We’re loving the space. If you’re in the area, stop by and see us!
