Renovation may be the spirit of downtown Owensboro, and that’s a perfect fit for its newest store, Eden Living.
The brainchild of owner Eve Thomas, the store at 123 W. 2nd Street, will open Monday with high hopes. It’s an inviting space, calling you to browse through the many vignettes of home goods, clothing, decor and spa items.
A big focus of the store is Milk Paint, an all-natural, fume-free way to give old furniture new life.
“It’s great because it’s natural and doesn’t have any fumes. There’s no smell,” she said. “I’m in here painting all the time and you can never tell.”
The paint will be available for purchase so shoppers can redo their own items or purchase items Thomas has redone.
“They can also bring me pieces they want me to do,” she said. “I’m for hire.”
Thomas hopes to use the back of the store as a classroom and hold milk paint workshops starting in November.
“It’s so exciting to teach people how to do something and see them gain confidence,” she said.
Thomas has a degree in interior design, so this all comes pretty naturally to her. She’s wanted to open a store for quite some time.
“It’s been a dream of mine for forever,” she said. “It just kept getting put off and put off. My husband knew I had an itch I had to scratch. He could tell I wasn’t happy not being creative.”
As a busy mom of two, soon to be three, with other career obligations, opening a store is an impressive feat.
The clothing in the store is geared toward people like her, she said.
“I want to sell things that are mom-friendly. There’s a lot of leggings and tunics, and just comfy stuff,” she said. “It’s the stuff I like to wear.”
Eden Living will have lots of gift options for the upcoming giving season, as well. From men’s items to bath and spa goods that are made in small batches, there are many unique options.
“The people who make our bath stuff are hobby farmers,” she explained. “We have a hobby farm, too, so that’s near and dear to my heart.” They even have all-natural household cleaners like laundry detergent.
Thomas said the name Eden Living is both a play on her name, Eve, and a nod to her faith. She hopes to have more faith-focused items in the store as it continues to grow.
“I’ve got some Christian jewelry, and a few other things,” she said. “Even the milk pant is Christian-based. Being made by Miss Mustard Seed – it says ‘move mountains in your home,’ (on the package) like ‘faith the size of a mustard seed.'”
If things continue to go according to Thomas’ plan, the store will eventually focus on furniture and decor items.
“I’ve finally got my dream,” Thomas said.
