2 new DIY shops offer workshops in Vestavia

BOARD AND BRUSH

After Katherine Stephen heard about how great Board and Brush was from a family member who visited a location in Mississippi, the Vestavia Hills resident decided to open a store with her mother, Suzanne Liles.

Liles was getting close to retiring from her full-time job but didn’t want to totally stop working. The opportunity to start the store, which offers DIY workshops mainly centered around wood products, was one Stephen, a stay-at-home mom with a background in public relations, couldn’t pass up.

Board and Brush, based in Hartland, Wisconsin, invited the mother-daughter duo to come for training at what they call “Discovery Day,” where both the applicant and Board and Brush can decide whether they want to move forward in starting a franchise, Stephen said. The day allowed Stephen and her mother to take part in a trial workshop and decide whether they wanted to proceed.

At the end of September, the store is expected to open behind Walgreens at 2017 Canyon Road, Suite 111.

The store will offer workshops for people to learn how to make different products, most of them wood, but canvas bags and other items are also available, Stephen said. It’s a perfect opportunity for group events and date night, she said.

This will be the chain’s first Alabama location, with a location in Huntsville set to open after the one in Vestavia. The company has 250 locations nationwide, despite only being around for four years.

“We’re excited about that and excited to be in the Birmingham market,” Stephen said.

Stephen, who previously held several public relations jobs, including with UAB media relations, has a daughter at Vestavia Hills Elementary West and lives in the city.

“There wasn’t anything quite like [Board and Brush],” Stephen said. “[I] thought it would be a great market.”

Patrons will go online and select the item they want to make in advance, choosing from more than 300 options. Everyone can pick a different item, Stephen said.

An instructor will then teach each workshop participant what to do to make their finished design, with participants able to make a unique product to take home with them.

“Every project looks a little bit different,” Stephen said.

The workshops are about three hours, on average, Stephen said. To start, the Board and Brush in Vestavia will offer two workshops a week, with one during the week and one on the weekend, most likely, Stephen said. They’ll also offer opportunities for private events, which Stephen said she’s already gotten inquiries for.

“I think it’s just a really great way to get away … to do something where you’re not looking at your phone,” Stephen said.

The response has been “awesome” so far, Stephen said.

At the start, Stephen and Liles will serve as instructors, but they’re looking to hire a few assistants who will eventually become instructors for the workshops, Stephen said.

For more information about Board and Brush, visit their Facebook page, facebook. com/boardandbrushvestaviaal.

MAKERS BIRMINGHAM

Andrew and Rachel Adams developed an idea for a DIY store in Vestavia with their friend Kellie Green after she helped design barn  doors for them.

“We’re really just getting our name out,” Andrew Adams said. “... Everyone we’ve talked to is excited.”

Makers Birmingham held its soft opening in July at 720 Old Towne Road off U.S. 31. Adams said the store uses reclaimed material and also recycles their products to help reduce their environmental footprint.

Visitors can go online and book an experience, choosing from a wide-ranging list of products from drink containers to wooden barn quilts, to create at the store. The product will already have a stencil cut out for customers to put on their product, which they will stain and paint, Adams said.

Adams said Makers will also host fundraisers and private parties and hopes to partner with local churches for youth group outings as well. The building features an outdoor area for people to use to visit with friends and family.

“We really wanted this to be a place where people can get away from the day to day,” Adams said.

Customers can bring their own drinks and enjoy a night out with friends and loved ones, Adams said.

Currently, the business holds classes on Fridays at 6:30 p.m., as well as a children’s class on Saturday at 1 p.m. Adult classes are also held at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. In the future, Adams said they hope to add a Thursday class as well.

For more information, visit makersbham.com.