Twitter
Facebook
***image1***The transformation of the Kaiserslautern-Landstuhl Spouses Association’s Crafts and Treasures Boutique into the Red Geranium will be revealed noon Nov. 19 at the Ramstein Community Center.
“We want the Red Geranium to feel like a very lovely boutique when you walk in,” said Beth Anne Hall, KLSA president. “And, it will also have a home décor feel to it where it will still be a gift shop, but it will also cater to beautiful things for your home.”
To acquire the home-décor feel, KLSA volunteers moved and loaded heavy objects in and out, painted the walls in rich colors and decorated with vivid fabric nick-knacks matching the new name, Red Geranium, for three weeks.
The shelves didn’t make it through the labor-intensive renovations.
“Artists’ works will be displayed on very large, beautiful furniture pieces so that customers can get an idea on how it can look in their homes,” said Mrs. Hall.
The KLSA selected Red Geranium has the boutique’s new name because it is a Scottish symbol for prosperity and good luck.
Besides the new look and name, the Red Geranium’s business practice has changed in order for the “lovely boutique” to be able to offer a wider variety of artists’ works.
The KLSA has hired three, part-time employees to work at the boutique. Before, artists who wanted to sell their work at the shop had to volunteer 15 to 20 hours a month working in the shop.
That practice not only limited the shop’s opening hours, but it also ignored several artists from showing their works at the boutique.
“It’s really opening the doors to a much bigger variety than what we had before,” said Mrs. Hall. “We found out that there are a lot of very talented people, not just in our community but in the smaller communities throughout Europe, who would love to showcase their artwork and hand-made things, but they either lived too far away or work full time to volunteer.”
Mrs. Hall said that the hours will be more consistent now too. For the holidays, the Red Geranium will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. After the holidays, Mrs. Hall said they may scale back their hours, but their hours will now remain consistent.
Artists who wish to showcase their work at the Red Geranium can call the KLSA office at 0631-350-7622 or visit the office in Bldg. 2923 on Pulaski Barracks.
