Burton’s Masonic Temple is brimming with art again as Kassana Holden of Bergamot Home and Bergamot Studio prepares to open to the public on Friday.
Holden, a textile designer, has leased the space — the former home of the Silverwood Gallery — and will host a reception during Friday’s art walk. In the shop, patrons will find her work, including throw pillows, scarves, paper products and her signature pendant lamps — along with home decor provided by Briggs and Co. and artwork by Island artist Mary Margaret Briggs, a longtime friend.
“It’s such a lovely space to be in,” Holden said last week, showing guests around the shop, “and there’s a nice energy in Burton.”
Standing amidst her store’s displays, Holden said she will stock the shop with small, medium and large items, priced accordingly, so that it feels like there is something for everyone.
“I don’t want to create an atmosphere here that feels exclusive or not suitable for houses on the Island,” she said.
She also plans to include a photography book section, part of her father’s extensive collection, some upholstered pieces — “a little bit reclaimed” — and work by other Island artists.
In the rear of the building behind the shop, people will find Holden’s studio space, where she designs her work on a computer and then transfers her images — many of them earth-toned works with a clear botanical influence — onto large-format printers; those printers, in turn, create the textiles, placing the images onto paper, silk, cotton, linen and polyester backlit film, frequently used for signs, but which Holden also uses for her lamps.
From her studio, Holden said she can provide services to large companies, such as Eddie Bauer, as well as individuals, including designers who create their own apparel or home furnishings, and crafters, such as quilters, who now can create their own fabric.
Holden, a textile designer for 25 years, spent much of her professional life working as a designer and design director for Eddie Bauer. She left the company in 2010, and after several years living in Seattle and Southworth, moved to Vashon in March.
“It’s been something I’ve been trying to do for 10 years,” she said, standing amid the remodeled space while Briggs hung her artwork on the gallery’s white-washed walls.
She moved here particularly for the strong arts community, and after living in Southworth and commuting to Bellevue for many years, she noted she is glad to be living and working in the same community.
She now lives just up the road and feels that the Burton community is experiencing a bit of a resurgence, with new businesses, including a pilates studio and The Chop Shop — a hair salon — in place, along with the traditional stalwarts.
“I have all the right amount of nervousness,” Holden said about her new endeavor. “I am so excited.”
The store will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday for an art walk reception; regular retail hours will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and by appointment. Holden can be reached most days at the studio at 792-0476.
