HOLLAND TWP. — Customers will soon be able to enjoy “art as a lifestyle” in a new location after the company announced its move to The Bluestocking Bookshop.
Owner Maranda Shear said the move to 501 Butternut Drive is expected to begin Sept. 1 and the shop will reopen for candle making Sept. 6. Art as a Lifestyle previously shared space at Not So Shabby Marketplace.
“We’ve already moved some things into the bookstore, our art supplies and other non-candle related items,” Shear said. “Some of the stuff has moved, but a lot of it will move slowly over the next few weeks.”
Opened in fall 2018 and located in Holland Town Center, Art as a Lifestyle is home to Candle-ology, a shop where customers can create their own soap, lotion and candle scents.
Shear said the company has been through several moves and hopes the new location will offer Shear and her customers more flexibility and availability. Her plan is to train bookstore employees in the candle-making process so the business can continue to operate even when she is not there.
“Personally, I’m at the point where I can’t be at Shabby’s as often as I’d like,” Shear said. “It’s like the candle bar stays more in a parent-away situation. When I’m not available, it just sits there.”
More: “Art as a Lifestyle” brings candle-ology and local artwork to Holland Town Center
Shear said she saw the potential of the business, which would be fueled by both repeat and new customers. After a lunch with the owners of The Bluestocking Bookshop, it was clear the move made sense for both sides.
“It’s going to be amazing to have it in a place that’s fully staffed and open multiple days a week,” Shear said. “Just having another team that can do it is great. Big changes, big adjustment, but it’s going to be amazing.”
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Going forward, Shear and the bookstore owners are working on a schedule and will continue to be largely appointment-based. Updates will be provided in the coming weeks.
“This is a dream come true,” Shear said. “I wondered where we would go from here, and to have someone like (R. Aimee Chipman, owner of The Bluestocking Bookshop) and the community that supports her is a big deal for us.”
For more information, visit the Art as a Lifestyle Facebook page or artasalifestyle.com.
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at [email protected].
