(Feb. 23, 2017) Sisters Hunter Smith and Devon Donahue have moved off Artisan’s Way onto Main Street in Berlin with their new, urban-inspired clothing and gift store Fathom.
That’s “Fathom.” with a period at the end of the word, regardless of its placement in a sentence, Donahue noted with a laugh. Her sister is apparently a stickler.
The shop officially opened last Friday, following about a year of renovations to the building. Smith said the new space only took about a week to furnish once construction wrapped.
The entire façade was remade and the doorway was restored to its original look when it was a barbershop, complete with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. A rear entrance was also added, which opens next to The Globe restaurant on Broad Street.
Exposed brick walls, minimalist wooden shelves and metal display racks evocative of industrial plumbing fixtures were inspired by visits to showrooms in New York City, according to Smith.
“Every time we walk in, it’s just stunning,” she said. “We originally planned to open in March, but everything kind of came together all at once and we just figured the weather would be great.”
The weather did hold, and sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures greeted the soft opening and drove scores of customers through the doors.
“It went great,” Smith said. “The town was super busy and we’ve gotten a lot of support from the other businesses on Main Street. It’s been wonderful.”
The sisters previously operated Sea La Vie on Artisan’s Way, a small side street near the edge of the downtown area that is also home to the Go Organic Grocer store.
“It’s a totally different world [on Main Street],” Smith said. “We’re quickly finding that out, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Donahue said the new space is more modern and contemporary than Sea La Vie.
“We wanted to bring in a kind of urban feel and to create a light and airy space where people can shop without being pressured,” she said. “We’re not here to pressure a sale or anything – just come in and feel comfortable and enjoy shopping.”
The focus of the stock, much like the walls and fixtures, has also shifted.
“Sea La Vie was a lot more about home and gifts items,” Smith said. “When we eventually tapped into clothing there we got a huge response from our customer base, and the more and more we went to trade shows we thought maybe this is something we need to bring into town. [Sea La Vie] was shabby chic and this is totally more urban and city-like.”
The plan was originally to keep both shops up and running simultaneously, but that all changed with the birth of Donahue’s son in January.
“Until about a month ago we planned to do both, but when that happened we sat down and had kind of an emergency meeting to talk about how we were going to do that,” Smith said.
Newborns, as any new parent knows, rarely sleep more than a few hours at a time and are generally uncooperative with any previously written business plan – no matter how creative.
“The whole reason we went into business together was to be together,” Smith added. “We’re sisters and we work so well together. That part of it was so important to us.”
It’s also important to continue to develop new idea and tap into markets, Smith said. One area that’s particularly lacking in Berlin is men’s clothing.
“We’re constantly looking for new brands – things that aren’t in this area,” Smith said. “We’re also working on a men’s section. We do have a little bit right now, but that’s something that’s totally missing [in Berlin]. Over the weekend we had a lot of gentlemen come in who were so excited that they’ll have something to shop for.”
Fathom is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Extended hours will likely begin next month.
Visit the shop on 14 North Main Street or Facebook by searching “Fathom Berlin.”
That’s “Fathom.” with a period at the end of the word, regardless of its placement in a sentence, Donahue noted with a laugh. Her sister is apparently a stickler.
The shop officially opened last Friday, following about a year of renovations to the building. Smith said the new space only took about a week to furnish once construction wrapped.
The entire façade was remade and the doorway was restored to its original look when it was a barbershop, complete with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. A rear entrance was also added, which opens next to The Globe restaurant on Broad Street.
Exposed brick walls, minimalist wooden shelves and metal display racks evocative of industrial plumbing fixtures were inspired by visits to showrooms in New York City, according to Smith.
“Every time we walk in, it’s just stunning,” she said. “We originally planned to open in March, but everything kind of came together all at once and we just figured the weather would be great.”
The weather did hold, and sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures greeted the soft opening and drove scores of customers through the doors.
“It went great,” Smith said. “The town was super busy and we’ve gotten a lot of support from the other businesses on Main Street. It’s been wonderful.”
The sisters previously operated Sea La Vie on Artisan’s Way, a small side street near the edge of the downtown area that is also home to the Go Organic Grocer store.
“It’s a totally different world [on Main Street],” Smith said. “We’re quickly finding that out, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Donahue said the new space is more modern and contemporary than Sea La Vie.
“We wanted to bring in a kind of urban feel and to create a light and airy space where people can shop without being pressured,” she said. “We’re not here to pressure a sale or anything – just come in and feel comfortable and enjoy shopping.”
The focus of the stock, much like the walls and fixtures, has also shifted.
“Sea La Vie was a lot more about home and gifts items,” Smith said. “When we eventually tapped into clothing there we got a huge response from our customer base, and the more and more we went to trade shows we thought maybe this is something we need to bring into town. [Sea La Vie] was shabby chic and this is totally more urban and city-like.”
The plan was originally to keep both shops up and running simultaneously, but that all changed with the birth of Donahue’s son in January.
“Until about a month ago we planned to do both, but when that happened we sat down and had kind of an emergency meeting to talk about how we were going to do that,” Smith said.
Newborns, as any new parent knows, rarely sleep more than a few hours at a time and are generally uncooperative with any previously written business plan – no matter how creative.
“The whole reason we went into business together was to be together,” Smith added. “We’re sisters and we work so well together. That part of it was so important to us.”
It’s also important to continue to develop new idea and tap into markets, Smith said. One area that’s particularly lacking in Berlin is men’s clothing.
“We’re constantly looking for new brands – things that aren’t in this area,” Smith said. “We’re also working on a men’s section. We do have a little bit right now, but that’s something that’s totally missing [in Berlin]. Over the weekend we had a lot of gentlemen come in who were so excited that they’ll have something to shop for.”
Fathom is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Extended hours will likely begin next month.
Visit the shop on 14 North Main Street or Facebook by searching “Fathom Berlin.”