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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Evan and Eleny Christen are photographed at their store Pinspiration Birmingham, located on Cahaba Park Circle off U.S. 280, on Nov. 11.
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Pinspiration Birmingham info.
When Eleny Christen first visited a Pinspiration studio in Arizona, she and her family were blown away with the concept.
“I have always been very crafty and hands-on and also interested in business and numbers. It was the perfect combination of both business and craft,” Christen said.
They signed up for the company’s newsletter and when they received an email about franchise opportunities, they decided to take the leap.
They came to Birmingham for a week in March and reached out to real estate agents with a goal to leave with a house and business location.
They found both: A house in Chelsea Park and a space for their business off U.S. 280 in the shopping center behind the McDonald’s that they began renovating in June.
Christen and her husband Evan left their corporate jobs at PayPal and moved to Chelsea to open up the first Pinspiration location in Birmingham. Evan is from south Alabama so the move would get them closer to his family.
“It was scary to take the leap, but we both bought into the concept and took the jump. I didn’t want to look back and think what if we wouldn’t have done it,” she said.
While the company has no affiliation with Pinterest, their projects are inspired by what is trending online. The space is set up for visitors to choose from popular arts and crafts and personalize and customize them during their session.
When guests arrive, they can choose their project from the gallery wall samples. Once a design is chosen, a muse (as their employees are called) will bring their supplies and instructions.
“They will also be available for questions, advice and second opinions to make sure guests don’t have ‘Pinterest fail,’” Christen said.
While there will be core projects, there will be seasonal options as well, along with new things trending online.
The studio is for all ages, walk-ins are welcome and reservations are also accepted. If booking ahead, the project will be ready for when guests arrive.
The main studio will feature tables and seating along with a bar offering beer and wine.
A private party room with a private entrance can be reserved for anything from birthday parties, corporate events to bridal showers.
Another feature at Pinspiration is a Jackson Pollock inspired Splatter Room, where guests wear protective suits and booties while creating splatter paint on canvases.
The company’s slogan is “where community meets creativity” and Christen said they are eager to get involved in the community. They plan to sponsoring activities in schools and also work with the art teacher at Chelsea Park Elementary where two of their children attend, to get artwork from students to display in the studio. Visitors will vote on their favorites and the winner will win a free craft session.
“It’s a way to promote art, but also the business at the same time,” she said.
They plan to have a space for local artisans to display and sell their art and also to work with non-profit organizations.
Christen said their plans are to hire four people and she plans to be there full-time for a while. She said that although Pinspiration is a franchise, their location is an independently owned local small business.
“We have experienced nothing but great Southern hospitality being here and are hoping to experience the same for the business. We are excited to have people come in and show them may not think they are crafty, but they can be and are excited to bring that opportunity to the Birmingham area.”
The Birmingham location is now open and held their grand opening on Nov. 30. The Christen's plan to open a second location in Montgomery sometime next year. To learn more about Pinspiration or make a reservation, visit pinspiration.com/locations/birmingham.
