MEET // Maker + Place, Local Coffee, and Here House
Photo by Brooke Casillas Photography for TSG Aspen
Michaela Carpenter and Candice Olson, a dynamic and entrepreneurial mother-daughter duo, first opened Maker + Place the summer of 2017, eventually moving their pop-up shop to a permanent space on East Cooper. The store features goods from local and international artisans, everything from ceramics to soaps and candles to perfumes. It also houses the ever-popular Local Coffee, where the Oat Milk Latte is the favorite beverage of choice for locals looking to caffeinate. We caught up with the brainchild behind M+P, Michaela, and asked a few questions. Read on for more, including their new venture catering to locals, Here House.
What was your intention in opening Maker + Place? The store is not just for visitors or those passing through town, we truly cater to locals, too. It is one of the best places in town to get a unique gift for under $100. We are also a great source for last-minute tableware, think well-priced napkins and cutlery.
What sets you apart? We focus on a curated, contemporary aesthetic and we support independent makers. We specialize in bringing world-class crafts(wo)men and high-quality design objects into a space that is welcoming for everyone. The pieces that clients purchase from Maker become a cherished part of people’s everyday life.
Do you close for the off-season? We are open all year round! And aim to be a place people can always rely on being open and available to help with any gifting or household needs. We are celebrating our business anniversary in July and we just celebrated one year in this space last December. We also do pop-ups from time to time around the valley. And Local Coffee can serve coffee on-site anywhere around town.
We are so excited about your newest venture, Here House. Tell us more!
Here House is a member space designed for locals to connect, play, work, and unwind. A home away from home, Here House offers workspace amenities, a conference room, a library and living room, private meeting space, and all the food and beverage service you find at Local Coffee offered through table service!
How do we become a part of this? The experience is offered through an annual membership to the space, offering a competitive, yet approachable, member rate. Whether you're using Here House as a daytime office or an intimate meeting place, or even as a place to escape the summer and winter crowds, we provide our community with a stylish sanctuary in the Aspen core. We are so excited to expand our hub and focus on the cultivation of community.
What inspired you to take on this new venture? Candice, co-founder and Creative Director, is really the dreamer behind the concept. We recognized through Local that we were activating the community and acting as a home-base for our locals, and we are ready to really expand on that and dig into the community even further. Through Here House, we will be able to really create in-depth and intimate programming and a well-rounded events calendar, all with a network of locals that are really contributing to making Aspen what it is.
We want in! What type of members do you have? The membership is geared toward Aspenites of all types, usually with the defining characteristic of wanting to make Aspen even better. We want our members to be open to growth and local opportunities. This describes so many locals, whether you’re a billionaire living on Red Mountain or you’re a dishwasher at Local.
Visit Maker + Place and Local Coffee, and follow along with the latest on Here House.
