It was a pretty miserable weekday afternoon in Swansea this Wednesday and the grizzly drive to Killay had put me in a less than chipper mood. Parking up, I made my way to the shopping precinct with my hood pulled over my eyes and grumpily headed for the distinctly bright shopfront of Turquoise. But as I opened the blue hand-painted door and entered the new shop, I was transported to somewhere much more romantic than the rainy suburb I had just stepped in from.
"We've been told it's like walking into Paris or somewhere in France. A few people have even said it's like walking into The Ivy- or at least a mini version!," said Venetia Baker, 47, one of two sisters behind a new boutique furniture store serving coffee and cake and hosting art workshops for the local community.
"Everything in here we painted by hand. It's taken blood, sweat and tears! It took us three months to do everything ourselves other than the wallpaper!," said Venetia, who taught herself how to create beautifully upcycled furniture and took the plunge last month to open a space in her hometown where she could sell her creations to local customers. "It's a really nice achievement and we feel like we've created a lovely space as so many people say such nice things about it," she added. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Read more: The new late-night coffee shop and funky bar in Swansea city centre
Venetia's sister Anabel Baker, 44, said opening a family business has been an eye-opener but the qualified social worker said her change of career has meant she stresses less and can run the business the way she wants to. It is also a change of pace for Venetia who was previously a civil servant for five years but has always loved getting creative with arts and crafts. "Art was the only thing I was good at when I was at school and it's all come full circle!," she joked.
You can take home almost everything in the shop, from the tables and chairs you sit on to enjoy a coffee to the intricately hand-painted glass cabinets scattered around the room. Venetia also hosts workshops at Turquoise and teaches groups how to old or unwanted furniture from going to landfill as well as offering classes on crochet, scrapbooking and other crafty projects. The sisters plan to open the shop for afternoon teas on Saturdays in the coming months and as well as serving delicious Welsh coffee, there is already a wide range of cakes, pastries and some savoury options on offer.
The sisters have lived in Killay for years and said the local community have been really supportive so far. They hope to create a relaxing space for local people to visit and said there is nothing quite like Turquoise in the area. "We very much want to be part of the community and help get people out the house if they feel isolated on their own," said Venetia. People say it's calming in here and a nice atmosphere. It's a place where people don't mind if they're on their own, they can read a book, have a coffee and even chat to other customers," she said.
Although they are thankful for the support they have received, the new business owners said there has been some negative feedback following their decision not to allow under 14s to visit the shop but explained they were advised to do this for health and safety reasons when a risk assessment was carried out before opening. "We're limited for space and we can't fit prams in here," said Venetia, who explained they have ensured there is room for wheelchair access.
"The furniture itself, a lot of them are glass cabinets which are quite delicate, if they run and go through that it's dangerous," she continued. "We'll also be using craft knives and resin which is toxic when we host workshops. It's not that we don't want children here, we're just trying to keep everyone safe," she continued.
On future plans for the business, the sisters said they hope to host private events at Turquoise and become a destination for photoshoots. Bringing some Parisian glamour to Killay, Turquoise is a unique and quirky destination in the already thriving village centre with big ambitions. Find out more about Turquoise here.
Read more:
- Welsh ice cream parlour to replace empty bar in Cardiff Bay
- Savvy mum-of-two shares her beauty hacks which could help you save over £600
- Mother's Day afternoon tea deals from Aldi, M&S, Morrisons, Asda Sainsburys and Waitrose
- Pub customer complains about member of staff who called them 'bud'
- Top Pembrokeshire restaurant finds new home after sudden closure last year
