New shop selling art, artisan home goods coming to North Tacoma
A new shop is opening in North Tacoma this summer, designed to be both an art gallery and a retail space selling home goods and other artisan items.
If you’re driven on North 21st Street recently, you’ve probably seen “Houndstooth” spelled out in gold lettering on a black storefront.
Shop owners Peter Westphaelen and Ryan Love have leased the space at 2701 N. 21st St. for the last couple of years, primarily to use as Love’s art studio. Before that, the space housed other small retail businesses like Evolve Home + Apparel.
Westphaelen said he and Love eventually wanted to open the space up to the public, and thus, Houndstooth was born.
The shop, named for the couple’s love of their pet greyhounds, is set for a soft opening in mid-July, Westphaelen said.
“[Love] is really focused on the in-person, human experience, and I think that comes from an extension of just wanting to connect locally and be more accessible,” Westphaelen said. “Art is for everyone.”
The focus on in-person experience is also why the shop intentionally doesn’t have an online presence, Westphaelen said.
Love’s own art will be on display and up for sale on the gallery side of the store, while the other half of the store will be dedicated to selling other artisan items like prints, candles, glasses, puzzles and other goods.
Westphaelen said he and Love are curating the shop to be colorful, warm and inviting, with Love’s art hanging in the windows. The window displays specifically will be made from recycling, including the cardboard boxes that merchandise is shipped in.
“We want that to be the first thing that everybody sees,” Westphaelen said.
There’s also plans to eventually host local musicians at the shop for live performances.
While the duo hasn’t finalized store hours just yet, Westphaelen said the store will likely be open Wednesday to Sunday, since Love still plans to use the space as a studio a couple of days a week.
“In this day and age, when there’s so much negativity around, [Love’s] art is less editorial, and so is the art I think he intends to carry …. More inspirational, more colorful, more vibrant,” Westphaelen said.
