Intro
We painted the walls Origami White by Sherwin Williams. The concrete floor will get a clear varnish over the top.
The exterior was painted to resemble a Pendelton blanket now it’s a very dark gray/blue (really, it’s nearly black) with white trim. Deck stain TBD. Wedding day, birth of my children, pub day, hanging that sign in the window. Memorable life moments.
My absence from the blog as of late is not solely indicative of pure summer fun although there has been plenty of that. Lately there’s been more manual labor than desk time as we are working so hard to build our dream; the first ever Not Without Salt Shop!
As I type splatters of black and white paint dot my fingernails and a big grin that just won’t quit covers my face as I attempt to find the words that will sufficiently illustrate my excitement. This space, located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle (which is a must visit according to me and TheKitchn), will primarily be the place for me to take photos, develop recipes, write and for Gabe to continue to create the videos that we’ve been sharing the last few months. We’ll also have all of our retail products plus a few of my favorite things (I feel like Oprah) to sell and we’ll host intimate lifestyle workshops (the space is just shy of 500 square feet) and private dinners so I can pretend that I still work in restaurants. It’s a place for us to interact with you all beyond the computer screen and that is what I’m most excited about. My goal from day one with this space is that when people walk in they will feel like they are stepping into my home. Most likely there will be fresh baked cookies available upon entering.
Two weeks ago this place was a hair salon appropriately named the Hairstream. It’s 10 x 40 simple structure that does indeed resemble a trailer. There were walls in various shades of yellow and green with antiques and artwork filling every bit of its diminutive size. We purchased a shop vac to rid the space of the hair although a few stray strands may be providing a nice texture to the freshly painted white walls. My friend Chloe has stepped in to help us with the design and I am currently stressing about finding the perfect table and which stove is best and what color should I stain the deck and will people actually come?!
Those of you who follow me on Instagram and are kind enough to humor me by watching me fret about all these decisions on Insta-story have been incredibly helpful. I’ll be sharing the entire process over there and here I’ll step in every now and again to give an update. But don’t worry I have my absolute favorite roast chicken to share with you real soon. In the meantime, back to painting.
Left: Paint, cleaning wipes, sand paper and watching Friends on the computer while I paint for hours on end. Right: Thank goodness for all the delivery options in Seattle. This is from Billy Beach – do not live your life without enjoying the Ballard Crunch Roll. Speaking of delicious things – when you come visit me in the shop do yourself a favor and enjoy the best iced mocha or your life from Chocolate Vitale.
This project is being fueled by La Croix and Amazon Prime Now deliveries.
Left: The kitchen will be changed quite a bit. I can not WAIT to see how evolves. Right: My super hero husband painting, sanding and basically just doing all the things.
For Seattle locals the space is at the corner of 65th and 3rd. Come say hi!
I was so excited to see you announce this on Instagram and I hope to make it out to visit some day soon! xo
Thank you so much, Abby! I can not wait to share it with you all. Please do come visit.
so exciting!! i roadtripped to portland (a whole 10 hours) a few months ago, and didn’t realize that seattle was only a few hours further. sigh. next time!! (my seattle idea list just grows and grows).
Excited about this and SO DAMN PROUD OF YOU, woman. <3
I adore you lady. You know that. Major fist bumps over.
Very excited for you! Can’t wait to stop by when it’s finished.
Thank you! I can not wait to show you.
It looks amazing! That’s a lot of hard work. Can’t wait to see what it looks like when you’re done!
Wish you success on your new venture !! From Malaysia
Whoa! I recognized the space right away- we live 2 blocks away! Glad to see the space is being put to great use as the hair stream owners retire
This is SO exciting! Next time I’m in Seattle, I’ll have to swing by!
How amazing!!
I can’t wait to take a big trip and come and visit you and the shop!
So many excited dinners to start looking forward to!!!!!!!
so excited for you! my husband and i have been getting our coffee and chocolate biz off the ground this summer so i have been having similar feels. i absolutely love that you have a shop that you use as your studio. living the dream! hope i can visit you someday!
Super excited to see this! Sounds like an amazing space… so bright and inviting!
I grew up in that neighborhood and when my girls are home on breaks from college we love doing a day in Seattle. Will definitely put your shop on our must-stop list!!
I can’t wait to come by! So exciting! Congratulations!!!
This is so exciting!!! CONGRATS!
Awesome photos! Thanks for the share, love checking out your blog.
dreams! I love it so much. I cannot wait to see and hope to one day follow in your footsteps. What a special space! Good luck to you two with all the work going into this haven. You deserve this, my friend. xo
So exciting! Wishing you all the best. Xx
SO SO SOOOOO proud of you! This is awesome, as are you.
I love that you are giving me another reason to visit Seattle again someday soon! I’m so excited for you and your shop. I wish you lots of success and happiness in your project. I’m sure it’s chaotic but I hope you get to enjoy the moment a little too 😉 Sending you lots of love from Montreal!
I will most definitely stop by when its complete!!! We lived in Ballard for YEARS (Queen Anne now)! What a great location! Best wishes to you and Gabe in this new endeavor!! How awesome!!! And I cracked up at your fueled by Amazon Prime Now comment. Story of my life right now.
Following the blog for awhile, but first time posting. OMG I didn’t realize you were local! I’m gonna have to make a trek a bit north of my usual stomping grounds sometime soon.
So cute! I grew up in Ballard. Will definitely come visit the shop next time I’m in town!
Nice space, congratulations on work to date and understand your reliance on Amazon Prime, looks like you’re also pretty close to their HQ! Best of luck in your new space!
I’m so excited for you! I wish I can visit it someday. Wish you all the best!
I am SO excited to see you are pursuing your dreams and hope one day I can come and visit this new, beautiful space you have created… Cheers!