WHATS BEHIND THE DOOR?

While a lot has happened in our little lamp studio over the last few months I really want to focus here and now on our new doors. Two simple metal and glass squares that I have ranted about quite a bit already, but they are very important to us so I feel they are worthy of even more attention. The newly installed set of glass double doors are without a doubt the single largest financial investment we have made since purchasing the business nearly a year ago and they also are potentially the biggest business investment that we could have made. In the past I may have playfully called our old door an exterior overhead security guardian but it was really just a garage door. Our shop was also basically a garage when we moved in. Greasy, dusty and boring beige. Countless hours and project after project has, what we have heard, transformed it into a destination shopping experience like no other in Toledo or elsewhere. Without a doubt our store and the rest of the Art on Market Shoppes are unique. We embrace being different from whoever might be considered our competitors. Perhaps we are a little free spirited and bohemian choosing to be located in this old warehouse, and that's okay. A collection of artists and entrepreneurs creating and selling under one roof and often collaborating. We are not in a fancy wealthy suburban village setting or a huge mall with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. That doesn't mean we don't want to have nice things. Our new glass doors hopefully will give our little store front an actual storefront appeal and authenticity . We have tried very hard to make the inside of our store very warm and welcoming experience while the outside entrance has until this point been not much more than "a hole in the wall". We really hope these doors help legitimize our place as a growing and prospering business in downtown's Warehouse district. Our old door was of course only able to be open during ideal weather conditions. When the door was closed, we looked closed and the side of the building resorted back to looking like a nearly abandoned warehouse.

The new glass doors now let the lights glow through them. The lights even seem to shine brighter! Selfishly, I am looking forward to the store staying cleaner and quieter.

In the few days the doors have been installed, I have noticed the traffic on Market Street slows down and those driver's eyes stare in. Even when we were closed, but the lights were shining, some foot traffic stopped by to inquire about the shop and our hours. The lights have always had a magical way of drawing people in, they tell us, "it's like moths to a flame, I just had to come in and see all the pretty lights". Now hopefully more and more people will discover, "the little shops that could".

A huge thank you must go out to the Toledo Mirror and Glass Company who built and installed the doors. They faced a few last minute complications during the installation but with their expertise made the process and final results, perfect.

It has taken me awhile to get back to this process, even this post has been over a week in the composition stage. Here's to even more posts soon. Let's talk extended hours, our first off site major event, some city wide attention and more, stay tuned as we bring love to light.