If you've read the first Soulehe Boutique Diaries post, you already know the secret is officially out. We're building our very first Soulehe boutique. 🥹
But I haven't really told you the story of how we actually found it.
And trust me, it took a while.
Months Of Searching For "The One"
We started looking for the right space back in April.
We viewed different shops, considered different options and tried to imagine Soulehe in each of them, but nothing felt quite right.
By June, the search had become especially intense.
And honestly? At one point, I started losing motivation a little.
We had been looking for months and I knew exactly what I wanted the space to feel like, but we just couldn't find it.
I didn't want to take a shop simply because it was available. I wanted to walk into a space and feel like this could be Soulehe.
Then July arrived and Hans and I escaped on our annual holiday to avoid the Australian winter.
Yes, we're apparently those kinds of Northern Europeans who can't handle the cold. 😂 So every July, we try to disappear somewhere warm for a little while.
This year, we went to Vietnam and it was AMAZING.
But apparently neither of us could completely switch our business brains off, because the search continued from Vietnam. This time from our phones.
And then, just a few days before our flight back to Australia...
we found it.
Well, technically, Hans found the listing. 😂
He showed it to me and something about it immediately felt different.
I Had A Feeling Before We Even Walked Inside
As soon as we arrived back in Griffith, we organised to see the space the very next day.
And this is going to sound a little strange, but on the way there, I already had this feeling.
This is it.
There had been too many little signs. Too many things lining up. After months of searching, something about this one just felt right.
And thankfully, that feeling didn't disappear when we walked through the doors.
Everything moved pretty quickly from there and just a couple of weeks later...
WE HAD THE KEYS. 🔑🥹
And that's when the excitement was very quickly joined by...
Panic. 😂
Wait... Are We Actually Doing This?
I was SO happy.
And then my brain went:
Oh my God. This is actually happening.
This is a really big step.
Am I making the right decisions?
Do I actually know what I'm doing?
And somewhere in the background there's always that little voice shouting:
What are you doing?! Are you sure about this?!
But after four years of running a business, I've learned that sometimes this is simply part of it.
You can know you're making the right decision and still be scared of it.
Sometimes doubt comes along and tries to shake your confidence a little.
And that's okay.
I'm doing it anyway. 🤍
And Then There Is You...
I already talked about how excited I am in the first Boutique Diaries post, so I won't repeat all of that again.
But there is one thing I absolutely have to say.
You guys are SO incredibly sweet.
The support I've received from our customers since we started sharing the boutique news has honestly meant so much to me.
Every lovely comment. Every message. People stopping me around town to say they saw we're opening a shop and wishing us good luck.
I don't think you realise how much those little moments mean when you're building a small business and simultaneously questioning approximately 400 decisions. 😂
So genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who is following along, cheering us on and getting excited about this next chapter with us.
I couldn't be more grateful.
Okay... We Have The Keys. Now What?
The first three weeks since coming home from Vietnam have been...
CRAZY.
I don't really have another word for it.
As soon as we got the keys, we started cleaning, planning and figuring out where on earth to begin.
Naturally, one of our first stops was Bunnings.
We found a very lovely and helpful employee, basically attached ourselves to them and said:
"We're about to paint our boutique. Please tell us everything we need." 😂
Simple.
To be fair, I had already chosen the colour, collected my paint codes and done some research.
And I had painted a room before.
Granted, I was about 14 and it was my bedroom...
But still. Experience is experience, right? 😂
So, paint and rollers in hand, we happily walked back to the boutique ready to transform the place.
Except apparently before you can paint...
you have to spend approximately 700 years preparing to paint.
Why does preparation take SO LONG?!
Painting, Demolition And A Very Stubborn Structure
Once everything was finally prepared, I started painting the next day.
At the same time, we had another slightly bigger problem.
There was a huge built-in structure inside the shop that needed to come out.
When I say built-in, I mean BUILT. IN.
Whoever installed that thing clearly intended for it to survive the apocalypse.
What we thought would be a demolition job turned into three days of pulling it apart.
Meanwhile, we already had an electrician and plumber involved, removing things hidden underneath and helping us get the space ready for what we wanted to create.
So our first week with the keys was basically:
Painting.
Demolition.
Floor repairs.
Wall repairs.
Ceiling repairs.
Cleaning.
Planning.
And Googling furniture at every available opportunity.
Very glamorous boutique-owner life. 😂
Slowly Starting To Look Like Soulehe
The goal for the first stage has really been to create a beautiful blank canvas.
Fresh walls. A repaired floor. Everything clean, tidy and ready for the fun part.
And somewhere between all of that, we've been hunting for furniture, displays and all the little details that will eventually make the space feel like Soulehe.
I've been searching everywhere, both around Griffith and online, trying to find pieces that fit the vision I have in my head.
Being able to find something locally is obviously amazing because I can actually see it, measure it and take it straight to the boutique.
But realistically, we're not going to find everything we need here, so there has also been a LOT of online searching and ordering.
Especially because the clock is ticking.
Things actually need to arrive before we open. 😅
And Now We Can Finally Tell You Where We Are!
We've teased you for long enough.
Our new Soulehe boutique will be located at:
2/371-379 Banna Avenue, Griffith NSW
Right opposite Victoria Hotel on Banna Avenue, Griffith. 🤍
I can't believe I can finally write that.
And the next big announcement?
Our opening date.
That's coming very, very soon.
There is still plenty to do before then, but every day the space is starting to feel a little less like an empty shop and a little more like the Soulehe boutique I've had in my head for so long.
I'll keep sharing the real behind-the-scenes journey here in the Boutique Diaries, including what works, what doesn't, what we DIY, what we probably shouldn't have DIY'd and how everything starts coming together before opening day.
And for all the immediate chaos, photos and videos, you can follow along on Instagram at @soulehe.studio.
P.S. Griffith, I Need Your Help!
This is a slightly random request, but...
I'm looking for a red carpet for opening day. 😂❤️
If you're reading this and happen to live in Griffith or nearby AND, for some mysterious reason, have a red carpet sitting at home that you'd be happy to lend me, PLEASE let me know.
Or if anyone knows somewhere around Griffith where I could hire one, send me a message!
Apparently this is where we're at in the boutique journey now.
From ripping apart built-in structures to searching Griffith for a red carpet.
I love it. 😂
See you in Boutique Diaries #3. 🤍