by Kirby Laney, posted 9 March 2018
For all the new development going on around here, a majority of Fremont businesses still operate in older and, well, let’s just say, funky buildings. One of these is the basement of the 100-year old ‘Rosche’ house, where two businesses found safe harbor together. Recently, both have expanded, stronger and steadier for having shared the space, and both ready for even more savvy shoppers to find them.
In January, TygerWolf Tattoo relocated to storefront space on N 36th, while Juniper Flowers expanded in place, taking over the entirety of the basement. While both businesses started elsewhere, the converted space with the dividing wall, gave them an opportunity to share costs and grow their companies in a supportive, creative environment.
How Juniper Flowers Grow
In January, Juniper Flowers celebrated its 15th anniversary. “We started in 2003,” explained owner Jean Louise Paquin Allen, “in the Sorrento Hotel.” Jean Louise worked as in-house florist for the prestigious hotel until 2005, when she and her husband, Mike Allen, moved the company to a 550 square foot storefront on Queen Anne. The business grew and did well, but the economic downturn, and a raise in rent in 2010, led them to downsize Juniper to fit in a studio space they created in their garage.
In 2014, Jean Louise started a barter with Fremont Coffee, providing weekly floral installations for the coffeeshop. “I did that for a year, when Boot Girl [the former basement tenant] announced they were leaving,” she explained. Christiaan Morris, the coffeeshop general manager, asked if she would be interested in taking half of the space, to share with his wife and her tattoo parlor. The opportunity, and the cost, sounded ideal, and the two women came to an agreement. They divided the space, and according to Jean Louise, “her side was her side.”
“I needed more,” Jean Louise said of getting back to having a shop, “I wanted the neighborhood experience, to be near other businesses.” Juniper Flowers quickly did join in the neighborhood, becoming part of the retailers’ group for Third Thursday promotions, Trick-or-Treat, the Fremont Festivus Roamin’ Bazaar, and as a sponsor for the upcoming Seattle Scotch & Beer Festival.
Jean Louise is used to working in small spaces, and shifting items when a new project or a client consultation required it. “I’ve always had really small spaces,” she observed, “where we move this, move that, to accommodate.”
The two business women had agreed, in their lease negotiations, “if one moved out, we would have to talk about it,” Jean Louise explained. When Christen Christen let her know that she was thinking about moving TygerWolf, “I had to think about that for about 7 seconds,” Jean Louise said of her decision to expand Juniper Flowers – and take on the increase in rent, and risk. Ultimately, she said, “The larger rent is okay. We’re so much busier!”
“It kind of came at the perfect time,” Jean Louise acknowledged of the expansion. She’d found herself having to schedule meetings around the TygerWolf schedule, and music. Hunkered down in the basement, both businesses had slowly built up their client lists, and each found they needed more space.
In the newly refurbished basement workshop, Jean Louise no longer has to hide flowers, getting out arrangements only to stow them away again whenever she has a consultation or large assembly job. Juniper Flowers now has dedicated spaces – for building arrangements, for wedding consults, and for retail sales.
“We can sell gift items again,” exclaimed Jean Louise, who loves providing a creative selection of small items customers can put with their flowers, “and we’re busier doing everyday arrangements.” Mike Allen built beautiful, lighted display spaces for showing off flowers and plants for sale, in the showroom. “Now, this can be the mess,” Jean Louise said, pointing to her prep area, “and this is the beauty,” as she indicated the retail and consultation areas.
“I knew that having a retail space again would mean divvying up the work,” Jean Louise observed, “it takes crazy amounts of organization; more dividing up the work.” While she is used to working alone, Jean Louise looks forward to once again having employees and business partners to work alongside her, and doing the organizing required.
Staying in the basement also works for the flower shop because, “we have to load in and load out all day,” Jean Louise observed. The alley entrance, and small parking area, allows (usually) for easy access to receive flowers and send out arrangements. “It’s working out great!,” she said.
A Storefront for TygerWolf
Christen Morris co-owns and operates the TygerWolf tattoo parlor. She began tattooing in Fremont in 2010, starting at Beyond The Ink, working for Lindsay Johnson. She parted ways with him in 2012, and began her own shop, “in a tiny space in Frelard,” she explained. In 2015, she and her husband, Christiaan Morris, moved it to the basement of the Rosche House where Morris manages the coffeeshop on the main floor.
They chose to share the space, which cost too much rent for just TygerWolf. Yet, “we both knew,” Christen said, “at some point we would need more space. For us, we wanted a storefront. We wanted the light and the windows, and to meet more people… more neighborhood people.”
“It’s been nice to come above ground and meet people,” Christen said of the move into the former Piece Of Mind space, in what is nicknamed the Bozotronics Building. “We needed the space,” Christen said, “we wanted to hire more artists.” Back in the basement, Christen did tattooing with only one other artist, Rita Von Lehe, who started as an apprentice. Christen hopes to be able to apprentice more future tattoo artists, now that she has space to do so, and she already has two potential apprentices working in the shop – Amanda Sanford and Kelsi Hooper.
Moving into the Bozotronics Building allowed TygerWolf to double its space. It created a great opportunity for the Morrises to grow the business, but they also took on more risk. “It’s definitely nerve wracking,” Christen said, about the higher rent, and taking on employees, “we have a whole lot less extra,” she said about income, “and I couldn’t be happier! Making the move was necessary.”
In the new space, TygerWolf has been able to expand its offerings, inviting in guest artists and welcoming new permanent artists as Christen meets ones whose work is compatible with her vision of TygerWolf. She looks forward to adding artists, “when we get ones that are a good fit.”
Already, “more people stop by,” Christen observed, while in the former space, “it was rare that we got a walk-in.” Unfortunately, “We have too much business right now,” Christen acknowledged in late January, “we have to turn away drop-ins.” She hates having to turn down anyone, “which is why we want more artists.”
With the advent of InstaGram, the world of tattoo grows, and Christen gets customers who have seen her art and that of other TygerWolf artists on the internet. “The internet has made the [tattoo] community so much smaller,” Christen observed. The internet has given better access to customers, but also, “we can learn how other shops work,” she said, “and what else is going on.”
Open For Business
“We want to them to know they can come by,” Jean Louise said to prospective Juniper Flowers customers. “We do have $15 bouquets,” she explained, “Order a custom floral, and come by or have it delivered.” Also, people can just stop by to see the new retail space. “We have lots of little gift items. Our customer service is huge,” she explained, “you are going to be treated well.”
Jean Louise has become a name, already, synonymous with beautiful, natural arrangements that showcase the attractive elements of the ingredients she uses. A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art, with a B.F.A. in painting, Jean Louise has no formal floral training, but her skills with texture, color, and design shine through in her work. “I try to use mostly local growers, and focus on better practices, green practices. I buy good quality, buying fresh,” for ingredients in her arrangements and floral displays, she said, “and process it carefully.” All of which can be seen with a step inside the Juniper Flowers showroom.
Visitors are also welcome at TygerWolf, to see the shop, the merchandise and the art that Christen has hung on the walls. “I’ve always wanted to do art,” she said, “which is why I got into tattoo.” Christen hangs some of her art, but she looks forward to doing more tattoo – a more collaborative art. She enjoys that aspect, “I like the challenge of bringing other people’s ideas to life,” she explained, “to make what is in their head a reality.”
Check out the websites for both businesses – TygerWolf.com has samples of the artists’ works and links to their InstaGram sites, and JuniperFlowers.com has some of the most gorgeous flower (and bridal) pictures imaginable. And consider stopping by to support two of Fremont’s most recent successes!
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©2018 Kirby S. Laney. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.