Our New Studio!!

Over the weekend, thanks to my family who babysat the boys, Dave & I were able to spend some time working on it.   Much like our own home, we’re working on the store during off hours on nights and weekends because we need to keep our design business up and running during our regular office hours.  Yesterday, we worked on the “Fabric Room” at the shop and it’s kind of my little happy place now:

Hanging my textile collection on a large scale like this reminds me of ones I’ve forgotten about and really makes me want to dig in and play with them.  (And gets me excited to do more!!)  We hung the first half of the collection and we’re working on grommetting the second half of the collection- my newest designs- during evenings this week….  Which means I have an excuse to sit and watch movies 😉 😉  wahooooooo

The fabric room is the first room guests will enter from the Great Falls Village Green side of the shop. We’re working on adding a few of our go to solid linens, velvets and wovens, along with our favorite graded fabrics from the upholstery lines we carry.  This is one of my favorite walls in the shop:

The samples are spread a bit more loosely than the others and I’m planning on eventually adding a Lauren Liess Textiles logo above it.  I’d like to use it to create pretty seasonal palettes.  The chair is one from a set of Midcentury Belgian dining room chairs and have placed them around the shop randomly.  I love the shots of bright yellow throughout.

Having a shop is incredibly exciting and is SO new to me.  I feel a bit like I’m holding my breath and jumping off a little cliff into water (whose temperature I haven’t checked) way down below.  There are moments when I think not a single person is going to walk through the door and nothing will sell and then others when I look around and think we don’t have enough to sell!!

I know about creating environments and atmosphere, but a shop setting is totally new to me.  When I visit Market, people talk about “best sellers” and I know my attitude isn’t a shop owner’s yet because when I hear that, I quite honestly don’t want to buy it because- like most designers- I want something other people don’t have and that isn’t anywhere else.  My brain isn’t focused on sales, it’s focused on finding what I love, even though much of the time it’s quirky or very personal.   I’ve heard those things don’t sell as easily.  For now though, I’m holding onto my way of thinking, focusing on going with what I truly love and that’s it.  I find myself saying, “I want to keep this” or “I don’t want to sell that” and my goal is to be able to say that about everything in the shop.  If I can’t say that, if I don’t want it or one just like it at home (or in a dream home 😉 it’s not coming in our doors.  In a nutshell, I’m filling the shop with my favorite things.

Boxes of goodies have been arriving daily and it really is like Christmas!!  We’re loading the shop with stocking stuffers, pretty little gifts and a few toys.  I’m hoping that it’s a place that really delights and inspires people.  Even if they don’t buy anything, I hope guests get ideas and get excited about their own homes and/or holidays.  I think I’m most nervous about being able to make our shop a place that people want to come back to over and over.  It’s a lot of work to get the shop up and running, but I’m sure it’s just as much work to keep it feeling fresh and new and full of awesome things.

I’ll keep you posted over the next couple of weeks on how it’s going but wish me luck.  (or sleep 😉

If you’re in the DC area, I would absolutely LOVE for you to come help us celebrate our big opening.  We’re having a couple of different events as the holidays get closer, so come visit!!

OUR GRAND OPENING DAY: SATURDAY DECEMEBER 7th 11:00-5:00  The Great Falls Village Center has a tree lighting ceremony and Live Nativity on the 7th so it should be a busy day there!! We’ll be at the shop (nervously hoping people show up) until the tree lighting with our family at 5.  There’s also a farmer’s market right outside of our shop until 1:00.

OUR OPEN HOUSE PARTY: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14th     We’re having an open house party!  Come celebrate our big opening with hors d’oeuvres and drinks.  11-5

Address: 776 Walker Road    Great Falls, Virginia 22066

Phone: 571.926.7825

I’m off for the day but hope you’re enjoying the beginning of this very short work week!! I’ll be back with some table setting photos of our Thanksgiving table!!