If you’ve been following my journey from the beginning then you’d know that I’ve been dreaming about taking Waiting On Martha the e-commerce shoppe to Waiting On Martha the brick and mortar for five years now.
I’ve been patient; doing my due diligence through four different pop up shops that ranged from one weekend to 8 months. Those experience have been priceless. They have helped me understand exactly what it takes to run a retail store alongside a busy e-commerce business. How much staff I would need, how much money it would actually take, what sells in store verses online, and most importantly if I really wanted to get in the retail game. And after many years and a very long pro/con list my answer is yes.
So without further ado, I am thrilled, nervous, but mostly just plain ready to tell you that Waiting on Martha Home will finally be opening in the Vinings Jubilee this June!!!
Truthfully, while this took four long years to come to fruition now it feels like everything is moving at lighting speed. There hasn’t even been time to pop a bottle of Veuve. The minute the lease was signed I had my inspiration boards pulled up and got right to work planning the design elements and making this dream a reality.
Where the Shoppe stands now is a completely destroyed demo mess. I’ve knocked down walls and tore up floors in preparation for all the pretty that’s to come. The team I’m working with has been a dream and for anyone in the Atlanta area I highly suggest Rob from Vision Construction, seriously he’s made this experience actually fun! I’ll of course be taking you all through each and every step until we open our doors, including an IG Story tour this weekend, but for now I thought it best to start with what I’m doing design wise.
The great news is my Shoppe is truly in the form of a home, so I feel like I’m designing a place where I would live. I’m bringing in soft, light and airy vibes in the form of grasscloth wallpaper, shiplap, custom cabinetry and four different paint colors from my friends at Farrow & Ball.
I’ve worked with F&B numerous times in the past and even visited England where all the magic happens this past fall. So when it came to this project I knew there was no other choice than Farrow & Ball. Which brings me to our signature color: Chappell Green. In the past our signature color has been navy, and while you’ll still find plenty of blue and white moments in the Shoppe, in my heart of hearts I knew this new chapter needed a new color and I knew that color was Chappell Green.
I mean Chappell Green is really where it all started for me; I’ve had a love affair with this green for years now. The cool, rich sage color is entirely elegant, while lending a certain femininity as well. And I just love its chameleon-like ability to go with just about everything. It plays nice with bold colors, while acting as the perfect neutral too.
In the Brick & Mortar, you’ll find Chappell Green in key accent places like our checkout station—made lovingly by my ever talented father—and our coffee bar and front door. Along with items such as bags, tags, tissue paper and a few other fun pieces we have our friend Jenn Gietzen working up some watercolor goodness for.
Along with Chappell Green, you can expect to see very soft paint tones. Think mint green, natural sand and white paint colors. Farrow & Ball’s Dimity is a very beautiful light natural color that’s almost like a smooth vanilla that we’ll be using on all of the custom woodwork and cabinetry. I needed a color that would make the beautiful custom cabinetry stand out, but allow the products we’re selling to really shine. Dimity also plays perfectly with F&B’s All White which will be used on all of the trim and ceiling.
Rounding out my paint choices will be Farrow & Ball’s Pale Powder. This pale minty-blue shade will painted over the shiplap my father, husband and I will be hanging in the back room. I love shiplap’s ability to add texture and dimension to a space, while giving it an older, almost historic feel.
And if pale powder shiplap didn’t make this room feel special enough, I’ll be accenting the shiplap with Mirth Studio’s hand-crafted wood flooring tiles in Sweet Cecilia. Available in various patterns and prints these show-stopping tiles are like nothing I’ve ever seen before and I’m thrilled to say we will also be the exclusive retail partner for Atlanta.
Finalizing the core design elements would be of course grasscloth wallpaper. You know I couldn’t do a space and not wallpaper. I mean I LOVE wallpaper. And since texture is one of my favorite elements, I had to, of course, go with grasscloth. I settled on the most gorgeous “Puka” jute from Bradley, a design showroom at ADAC here in Atlanta.
Lastly, I’ll be indulging my love of art with an Artist in Residency program. Every 6-8 weeks, I’ll be bringing in a new artist with original pieces to be displayed and sold in store. Since this all began in our first pop up with Atlanta’s very own Britt Bass, there really was no other choice as to who would be our first artist in residence for the Brick and Mortar. Britt really awakened my love for art, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her kick this all off.
There you have it; the dream has become a reality. Thank you to everyone who has followed since the beginning, or is just following now. To every person who ever bought anything from my e-commerce shoppe, the pop up shops, or the warehouse sales. To all the full time staff, part time staffers and interns over the years, thank you. To my parents, husband and friends that have moved me more times than I can count and who will move me again this one last time, thank you. Just thank you. You are all the reason I’m able to do this and still love doing it. Thank you. Truly, MKR
P.S. Now to the biz talk! WOM has immediate openings for two-three part-time and possibly one full-time retail associate for the Waiting on Martha Home brick and mortar location. The ideal candidate will have retail experience, know how to hustle, have a knack for creativity and merchandising, and be a self starter to work with our crazy, but amazing, small business! Comment with any questions below, and please email all resumes to liz@waitingonmartha.com. xo
