Shop Critique
Yesterday was another adventure day for my friend Kelly and I. We headed west with two destinations in mind: a stained glass store and a quilt store.
The first stop was the stained glass store. It was an okay store--which is why it isn't being identified. Just a little dingy. I think it just needed more lighting to make it more eye appealing. My biggest negative: hearing the owner refer to another customer as a "bitch" because she wanted to return a pricey piece of glass. When we entered the store she and another customer were talking, and this was the part of the conversation we walked in on.
Advice for store owners: please don't complain about customers in ear shot of other customers. It makes me very uncomfortable and makes me wonder what you say about me when I am gone!
The second stop was a quilt shop--Tammy Tadd's shop and design studio. Follow this link to get a feel for the energy we experienced! Check out Tammy's blog for pictures of the shop itself.
The shop is huge, painted bright white with bright, colorful accents everywhere. We were greeted with a cheerful "hello" from someone at the counter when we walked in--I'm pretty sure she was just a happy customer! The clerks in the store were helpful without hovering. They offered us coffee and hot tea while we were browsing.
Everywhere you turn there is something else to make you smile. Along the left side of the store is a long staircase that leads to the design studio above. Hanging along the staircase are a series of quilts all using the same floral fabric. Very different quilts, but each one gorgeous. At the top of the stairs is an old-fashioned screen door with a cutely painted mailbox hanging alongside. It was a precious detail! I'm pretty sure the screen door was solely decorative--there were sliding glass doors next to it leading into the studio--but I really really wanted to run up the stairs and tug on it.
Tammy Tadd's signature colors are bright pink and green and many of the store's fabrics reflect this love of brights. Although the display that pulled me in the most was a soft blue and brown series of fabrics. It was probably the seas shells displayed alongside that called to me!
So yesterday was one thumb's up and one thumb's down. Even though I no longer quilt or even sew, I want to go back to Tammy Tadd's shop and drink in more of the energy!
