Saturday, June 23, 2012

New Storefront for Scarlett Garnet in St. Louis - Cherokee Street!


With Scarlett Garnet Jewelry being based in two cities, we have had our share of odd homes.  In St. Louis, I have had the SG Studio in the front sunroom of my apartment, to a few months in The Luminary, a brief stint in my mom's basement, over a year in a boutique, Maven's, basement, and now into the sunshine of Cherokee Street!
I had looked at Cherokee Street in 2008 when I was moving out of my Shaw apartment, and the timing was just not quite right. In early 2012, I had the pleasure of meeting Jason Deem, who has renovated and preserved several buildings on Cherokee, and the timing was perfect!  Art Monster, a tattoo and airbrush shop that is now our neighbor, was consolidating their storefront spaces, so one was just becoming available.  Below is the progression of the space into Scarlett Garnet's new St. Louis home at 2619 Cherokee Street, Saint Louis, MO 63118, and the collection of pieces that bring the store to life.
"Before" Shot #1 - Art Monster's airbrush studio and storefront.  They also have a tattoo shop next door.

But before I moved in...what do you do with a wide open space and wooden floors- throw a dance party!  As soon as I got the keys, I opened the space up for my roommate's birthday party!


Working from the teal already on the walls, I painted on the stripes that would later be the stick part of an arrow. Playing it by ear,  my quad muscles were feeling it after insane numbers of trips up and down the ladder, and in and out of the storefront windows.

I cut stencils for the small bow and arrow finales from file folders.  I let inspiration take hold with the bright orange and eggplant colors, but also dove in to some Home Depot "Oops" paint in Mint, discounted to $7 for a gallon.  Scarlett Garnet can't pass up a deal. 


I have always wanted to attempt the tape stencil/negative space and I  had fun exploring the options.  Before....

And after!

The beauty of having show windows? Enjoying your lunch in the sun! Taking a quick break
On the hunt for unique display items and furniture, I came across this thrift store GOLD mine!  I happened to snag this olive green vintage couch the day it came in.  Man on couch wanted to chat about what I would make him for dinner, but I just wanted the couch!


Garnet came in from Kansas City for the opening, and to help decorate the new space.  She carefully draped the emerald and aquamarine colored strings of beads from the window and back into the store.  She really loved me singing, "How much is that Garnet in the window?" 

She brought an awesome chandelier in from KC, rescued from a building being renovated.  Chandelier crystals paired with beads create a dramatic effect in the store.  I could not have done it without her!  
Forever friend of SG, Wes Vega, helped us hang our sign, chandelier and curtains.  We love a man that knows how to use his power tools and find studs!


An "after" view from the inside- arrow walls, chandelier with crystals,  vintage mirrors and bright orange windows!
The back of the studio has a collage of locally printed event posters.  Cherokee street boasts quite a few prolific print-makers!  A painting by Lindsey Scott adorns the adjacent wall.
I created this display for the front windows from random flea market finds.  I drew and painted over old photos to match the macabre skulls and found a good use for one of our many broken mirrors.  We plan to change out the front windows often, or have them available for artists to concoct an installation monthly
Every First Friday, we will showcase a new local artist.  May artist, Jay Babcock, does some chalk drawings with his son.

We sell other products in addition to our jewelry.  We have candles and soap from our former home, Maven, where we also sell our jewelry.  
Stephanie Silvis of Ruby Francis stops by to snap some pics of her redone vintage clothing for her own Etsy Store.  Etsy.com/shop/rubyfrancis
She uses vintage fabrics, old curtains or bed linens to create her adorable clothing.  Ruby Francis also has adorable hair clips, complete with no-slip grip backing.

We also carry some prints, cards, and original artwork by the local tattoo artist Lauren Busiere.
A vintage shelf, another thrift store find, holds jewelry in the middle of the retail space.  The curtains separate the storefront from the workshop/studio/office space in the back.

The finished product!  Purple makes the logo stand out, and our sandwich board, made from recycled materials, announces to the walk-by traffic that we are open. 

Our hours may vary as we figure out what works best on the street, so please check our website for the most up to date information before heading down.  We are often working outside of listed hours as well. 
As of June 2012, we are open:
Wednesday: 12-5
Thursday:12-4
Friday: 11-5
Saturday: 11-5
Sunday:11-3

Thanks for reading!  Stop by soon!

2619 Cherokee Street, One block west of Jefferson

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

New store looks awesome. Can't wait to check it out the next time I am in St. Louis!