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Elizabeth Kennis shares a brew and a toast with Virginia Beer Company co-founders Chris Smith and Robby Willey.
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Bars and tables were built from reclaimed wood that was sourced from a 1907-built barn out of Windsor, Virginia. The taproom features two viewing windows looking into the brewing area.
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Sitting Pretty. Interior designer Elizabeth Kennis and Three Sisters Boutique owner, Kelly Terrancina.
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Three Sisters Boutique was named for the owner’s three daughters, Maria, Abbey and Anna. A layering of luxurious hides provides great texture, warmth and movement for the heart of the store, the bespoke rounded cash wrap and fitting rooms.
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The art-inspired wallpaper was selected to create an inviting backdrop that reinforced the colors in the logo.
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The sleek boxes were designed to turn Three Sisters products into art forms on the back walls while picking up the warmth and age of the reclaimed wood floors.
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The glass bubble chandelier creates an airy and fashion forward crowning centerpiece for the lounge vignette.
Creating a memorable spot people want to return to is not just a business model for LEED-certified interior designer Elizabeth Kennis — it is a passion. The Williamsburg owner of Elizabeth Interiors recently completed work for four local businesses including Virginia Beer Company, Three Sisters Boutique, Little Lilla Children’s Boutique and Silver Hand Meadery.
Being certified as a Small Women and Minority (SWaM) business, Kennis knows firsthand the drive of small business owners.
After working for other design companies for several years, Kennis described going out on her own “like drinking from a fire hydrant. The paperwork (to get started) was pretty daunting. But at the same time really exciting. I have never looked back.”
She stressed that small retail owners are not just creating a business, they are creating a livelihood with flair.
“People who start a business put their neck out and are passionate about what they do. [Retail] business owners want people to feel good in their establishment. They want customers to leave with the feeling that they want to return.
It is about a feel as well as being a functional place,” she said. Kennis believes lighting is an important factor in giving an establishment a certain feel.
“Lighting is huge. The structure of lighting brings the space to life,” she said.
For Silver Hand Meadery, a business that makes and sells various types of mead, Kennis faced a challenge in that it was opening in a former physician’s office. “Many people do not think of a doctor’s office as a warm and enjoyable place,” she said.
Kennis admits she had never had mead, so she ventured out with owners Glenn and Sherry Lavender to an outdoor tasting at a former apple orchard in Lightfoot. It was there she got her inspiration.
“Among the decorations was a barn ladder with jars of honey on it. The sun shone through and it was so pretty. I wanted to capture that and put it in the establishment,” she said.
The owners of Virginia Beer Company wanted to a “favorite place to drink beer,” Kennis said. She used warm reclaimed wood to create a cozy theme.
“The chunky edge of the bar welcomes you to rest your arms,” she adds.
At Three Sisters Boutique, Kennis and the owner, Kelly Terrancina, collaborated with David A. Nice and Nicewood Enterprises to create a different shopping experience.
What began as an empty space is now what Terrancina calls “a happy place.”
While clothes are the focal point, the layout makes for a relaxed atmosphere, Terrancina said.
“There is a psychology behind it. If someone enjoys the space, then they will want to shop there,” Kennis said.
One wall has flowered wallpaper with two “of the most comfortable chairs you will ever sit in. We call them our guy chairs,” Terrancina said.
Kennis said recently two friends ran into each other at the store and sat in the chairs, talking, for an hour. That atmosphere is what she strives for with the businesses she works with.
“To create a space that the client loves, that is my greatest joy,” she said.
Elizabeth Interiors • elizabethfkennis.com
