Category: Stylemaker

You graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in apparel design. How did you transition into interior design?

I also studied at the London College of Fashion, and I’ve always had a big love of textiles. My first job out of college was at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago with Stroheim Fabric showroom. I fell in love with interior design at that point. Then, I moved to Portland, Ore., and worked for a woman who did interior design and designed soft home furnishings. When [my husband and I] moved back to Milwaukee, I started my own business where I was making my own slipcovers, bedding and window treatments. My business started evolving and people asked me to help them select paint colors, or pick out a sofa — things like that. Now, I subcontract out all of my window treatment [fabrication] and don’t do any sewing anymore.

Where do you glean inspiration from in your designs?

I get a lot of inspiration from Instagram and even Pinterest. Instagram has such great accessibility and there are so many designers out there that I haven’t heard of. So if a designer I’m following posts about some furnishings they love, I’ll go and research that line. Some designers’ Instagram accounts I love include: @namdangmitchell, @william_mclure, @darrylcarterdesign and @alyssakapitointeriors.

Where do you like to shop for home items for yourself or clients in Milwaukee?

One of my favorites is Brew City Salvage in the Fifth Ward — it has midcentury modern pieces. I also stumbled upon this place called Dandy on the border of Wauwatosa and Milwaukee, and [they] carry some neat vintage pieces as well. Another place that’s popular in the North Shore is Legacy [which is], a consignment store. The owner of Delafield Design Gallery carries Lee Industries furniture and I frequently take my clients to see the high-quality pieces they make. LUCE Lighting in Milwaukee carries my favorite brand, Visual Comfort.

What trends should we be looking for next in home interiors?

In the kitchen, wood cabinets are coming back into style — but not dark wood — a white oak or light oak. Even if it’s a painted cabinet, we’re seeing less gray and back into beige or mushroom colors, which can be very sophisticated and chic.

We’re also seeing a lot of hand- made tiles, called Zellige. A lot of different companies are making their own version of these.

[Other things include] beige being back (Benjamin Moore Pale Oak is a favorite, see sidebar)! [And] wallpaper is going strong, even on the ceiling. Another trend is painting the ceiling a color.

By Shayna Mace | Photography by Lacy Landre

The Green Bay native and founder of Good Day Shop talks about creativity, her favorite makers and the shop owner’s life.

What were you doing before you founded your own business?

I did marketing for 10 years in the corporate, nonprofit and university settings. Toward the latter of [that] career I started doing upholstery on the side … and I kind of fell in love with [how] you can do something with your hands that creates a product that’s useful and functional. It reopened the creative side of myself, which I hadn’t had for a long time. I was at a pivotal point in my career. So, I decided to go for it and quit that career path [and] pursue a business idea around creativity.

You started with your original business, One-OneThousand, back in 2015. Talk about your journey with that company.

I was trying to create this entire ecosystem because there were so many different gaps in what I was seeing in Madison supporting the professional maker community. I [came] at it from all angles—affordable studio space, professional development specific to these entrepreneurs and then giving them a way to sell their goods. When we started, we just did pop-ups and meetups [for makers]. And then I opened the creative studio and I started to grow One-OneThousand with more workshops. Then, we launched the Good Day Market, which at that time was a twice a year market with makers.

Based off the success of your pop-up events, you decided to open a retail shop on Monroe Street. How has that been fulfilling?

I always thought that I was going to create that ecosystem from behind the scenes and help makers build their brands and give them opportunities to sell their goods. But I learned that I like being able to help [by selling] their goods. And I found it’s a meaningful way to work with makers and be a conduit for helping them build a livelihood much more directly.

One of the biggest questions I get is, “Is everything here local?” and that’s a great question to ask. Because what [customers] are really asking is “Where does this stuff come from?” and, “Is it a good purchase?” I try to source local as much as possible but my curation perspective has expanded. A majority [of products] are U.S.; in fact, [most] are Midwest-based. But I also carry pieces from Studio Non in the Netherlands and Mariana Muravito from Mallorca. What drives me in my process is sourcing from independent brands and small-batch makers that are mindful about their production process.

You always have creative ideas up your sleeve. What is next for Good Day Shop?

In April we’re bringing in some small-batch, sustainable clothing lines. We’ll [also] be continuing to refine our retail experience, whether it’s working with our customers on an individual basis for custom orders or with our makers on specialized product lines.

By Shayna Mace

How did you become interested in the home design arena?

While I was pregnant with my first child, I was approached to help redesign the home of then-mayor of St. Paul, Norm Coleman, and his wife Laurie. Fortunately, the project went so well it blossomed into additional work in design. I followed with some classes at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and found I had a knack for it. I believe I have an eye for beauty and balance, given my strong background in travel, dance and advertising.

What are your Northwoods clients looking for in their homes?

People want to have a more relaxed environment than where their main home might be, and it can have a rustic, warm [look]. I see rich fabrics (like leather, cowhide and wool), functional furniture that feels good and incredible rugs.

Kitchens have become a lot more fantastic than they used to be … now that families come to their [vacation] homes year- round. In the winter, they come up for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, and in the summer for boating and waterskiing. So, these homes need to be able to take a beating. In areas where people are in and out quite a bit, flooring could be a great tile or rustic wood floor. And, these homes are always hosting extra people, so kitchens and dining rooms need to be able to accommodate that, too.

You’ve also noted that special pieces and collectibles are very important to Northwoods homeowners. How do you work those into the décor?

I tell homeowners to try to group items together or make collections, instead of displaying the pieces everywhere and having them take over the house. It makes more of a statement and gives [the items] more of a fresh approach.

Where are your go-tos for design inspiration?

Travel is huge for me because I love seeing how different areas of the country and world put things together. I encourage people to bring back things from their travels that we can incorporate [in their interiors].

There are some great sources online, but if I can purchase it locally, I try to, otherwise if it’s a national store, I buy it locally. Ferguson offers great lighting and plumbing fixtures. There are also some nice wood products in Rhinelander, like at Enterprise Wood Products, and I like Carpet City. Locally, Scottie’s Interiors does a great job, and I also pull from Roughing It In Style quite a bit. I love to travel, and New York City offers ABC Carpet & Home—it’s a fabulous store and inspiring. I like Rejuvenation and Restoration Hardware for national stores.

Online, I bounce around a lot. [I like] websites like Houzz and Pinterest for inspiration. The lighting at Lumens is great, and Grandin Road is nice too.

By Shayna Mace | Portrait and Photography by Shanna Wolf; photo location courtesy of Bob Weirauch; Manitowish image courtesy of travelwisconsin.com

For more on Lisa Africano and her design firm, LA Design North, click here.

By Shayna Mace

You bring a lot of buying and product development experience to your shop, having worked at Lands’ End in retail, inventory and merchandising, and at TravelSmith in San Francisco. How did those experiences tie into Journeyman Co.?

[Todd Christiansen:] I was lucky enough to travel quite a bit in my different roles at Lands’ End and TravelSmith. [At Lands’ End] we did quite a bit of manufacturing in Southeast Asia and Asia, I went to Europe, and I spent a lot of time in New York City. So I’d run across brands, and they were items I’d purchase for myself and wear. So in developing the concept [for Journeyman Co.], I already had a kind of “wardrobe” of brands that I really liked.

Opening a physical location as well as the look and feel of your shop was very important to you.

I launched with the retail concept because it’s my canvas for the brand. Three months ago, I started selling online, too. But the brick- and-mortar side of it is all about meeting people and allowing people to come and experience your brand three-dimensionally. With a small boutique, you have a guarantee on the product—I’ll be here to help fit you, and be sure to take it back if you don’t like it.

And the shop name gives a nod to your product selection.

The name was based on a work wear concept, and part of my strategy is to source from the U.S. The U.S. has a great work wear history with denim manufacturing. So that was the starting point to having this brand grounded in better basics, and a staple of that is denim. I also like vintage sports, so you think of the journeyman ball player. The third part of the name is [a nod to] travel and the journey.

Part of my mission statement is “approachable fashion for men,” and that to its core, is quality and fit. That’s something I think about every day when I’m editing the assortment, buying it and talking to my customers. This store carries better brands, and when someone is spending a little more on their wardrobe, it really needs to fit well and last.

Soon, Journeyman Co. will have its own branded goods, which is exciting.

Yes, I’m partnering with a 120-year-old knitting company, Harley of Scotland, for a small production run of sweaters I developed with them. Those are coming at the end of September. But eventually, about 20% of the store will be my brand, [with] sweatshirts, rugbys, T-shirts and socks.

What are essential pieces all men need in their wardrobe?

A five-pocket twill jean, a great pair of leather boots, a chambray work shirt and some sort of shirt jacket (see all right). If you can get those building blocks, then you can layer on some extra fashion pieces that you can have fun with.

journeymanshop.com

By Shayna Mace

You met as social workers in Fort Lauderdale. What brought you to the Midwest, and what inspired you to change career paths?

Genna: My family is from the suburbs of Chicago. They used to come up [to Lake Geneva] and spend summers in this area. [When] Steve and I were dating … we came up on a couple of trips and also fell in love with the area. We got engaged up here and decided that we wanted to move here to start our lives together.

Stephen: Florida is known for fashion and shopping—like in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Las Olas area—so it was just being a lover of buying clothes. [The store idea started] because we were shoppers, and there was a need here for men’s clothing. Lake Geneva is a resort town and it’s touristy. And, there’s a very strong golf influence here.

Haberdapper has a high-end look, with built-in cabinetry and a masculine vibe. What was your vision for the interior?

Genna: We wanted it to look and feel like a home. The idea started with a men’s closet look … the cabinetry was built specifically to hold men’s shirts and pants and measured accordingly. It feels less like a clothing store and more like a home.

Stephen: People come in here and they feel like they’re either stepping back into time, or they’re back on Michigan Avenue [in Chicago]. We tried to bring some of that here, because there is such a strong Chicago influence in Lake Geneva, [and] we wanted to incorporate that in the look of the store.

You’ve been open since 2008. Why have you been so successful as a local retailer?

Stephen: We’re doing something that nobody else is here. So, I think taking that challenge of doing something different—and being something special in Lake Geneva—[has] set us apart from most of the other stores.

What’s popular in men’s fashion right now?

Genna: It’s taken a bit of a turn to a trendier, less conservative direction. We have men in their sixties and seventies that are now buying some of our younger, hipper brands because they’re different—it’s fun. [We see patterns like] plaids, checks and stripes—and funny designs, like martini glasses.

Stephen: [I see an increase in] performance fabrics and stepping away from cotton, moving more to synthetic and performance [fabrics]. They’re lower maintenance, no-iron, no-wrinkle and no dry cleaning is required.

What’s next in men’s style?

Stephen: Everything is trim now, so whether it’s going to remain that way remains to be seen. Everything goes in full circle. Trends come and go, and then they come back. But, I am certain on one point: I hope that pleats don’t come back!

By Shayna Mace | Photographed by Shayna Mace

What brought you to Arch after working in the cosmetology and hair styling fields in downtown Chicago?

I went to cosmetology school with Betsy Branca, the founder of Arch. She opened the first location in Rockford in 2011.

I bought in and joined the company when the Chicago shop opened in hopes that we would open a store in Madison someday. After [our] Madison [boutique] was up and running in 2015, we started looking into the Milwaukee area and it fell into place [to open one there] this past November. That’s been a vision since we opened.

We try to keep it boutique—we’re not a fan of the “commercial” feel. There’s walkability and foot traffic with our stores. I really like the Square and there wasn’t a lot for retail [in this area]. But in the last five years or so, that seems to be changing a bit.

Opening brick-and-mortar shops is refreshing in this day and age of online shopping. Why did you and Betsy decide to go this route?

We’re both very driven, and I’m a risk-taker myself. We see it as more of an opportunity than a risk. What’s different about us is that we’re locally owned—there’s no franchising. With our four stores, it’s very manageable for [Betsy and I], and our other business partner, Emma Brearly.

What’s special about the products that Arch curates and the services you do?

We’re adamant about our products being natural—a lot of them are natural or organic. We carry a selection of products with different price ranges so there’s something for everyone. And, a lot of them are [items] you can’t find just anywhere. We do try all of our products too.

We also focus on express services. So, makeup application, full facial waxing with a focus on brows, eyelash and eyebrow tinting, lash lifting, blowouts and hair styling, hydrafacials and express facials, and BOTOX, Sculptra and Kybella injections. We’ve also started B12 injections too which can help with stress, anxiety … and energy.

What brands are you most excited about?

Chantecaille is one of the main ones. They are a philanthropic brand, so many of their products will be paired with an animal foundation and part of the proceeds will go to that particular animal foundation. Also Omorovicza and Eminence for skincare, Laura Mercier and Kevyn Aucoin for makeup, and Oribe for hair are brands that can be hard to find. A few of our lines we worked with them for years before we were allowed to carry them.

Why do you like working in the beauty industry?

I love the clients—everybody is here to feel beautiful, and they’re always in such a great mood. It’s rewarding to help with that process.