By Abigail Stopka, Better Kenmore CDC
Lori Julien opened Marigold Sol on April Fool’s Day 2021 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. What initially began as an equal parts passion project and a way to move her personal workshop out of her crowded family home has since grown into one of Kenmore’s most unique destinations for both DIY hobbyists and shoppers looking for one of a kind décor.
Lori initially rented workshop space in Wadsworth, but eventually her landlord sold the building and she was forced to move out.
She wasn’t planning to find a new location to rent, but her plans quickly changed when she and her husband stumbled upon a vacancy at 962 Kenmore Blvd. during a Kenmore First Friday.
She fell in love with the window wrapped store front and inquired about renting it right away. After securing the space, she quickly decided it would be an injustice to keep such a prodigious parlor to herself and realized it needed to be a brick and mortar shop and not just her private workshop.
This is when the inspiration to open the vintage shop now known as Marigold Sol, struck.
“Marigold is the flower for October, which is when I formally started my business,” Lori said when asked how she came up with the name for her shop. “Marigold signifies creativity. I wanted to do a play on soul – it has sun, light and creative soul but in a different way.”
When you first walk into Marigold Sol, you’re welcomed by a thoughtfully curated boutique full of custom and vintage pieces of décor – some of which have been salvaged and given a new life by Lori, with others crafted by her vendors and partners.
Additionally, it’s a place for Lori to share creativity through Marigold Sol’s workshops-where creatives and self-proclaimed “non-creatives” can learn new skills and craft pieces to cherish-regardless of experience.
“I want to create a design inspiration area [in the store],” Lori said. “I want people [to] come in and be inspired and have a vision of what they can do with the Wise Owl paint [I sell].”
Wise Owl paint is an eco-friendly woman-owned company out of Michigan designed with the crafty DIYer in mind.
After two years in Kenmore, Lori doesn’t regret her decision to open a shop on The BLVD one bit.
“It has been really good being on Kenmore Blvd.” Lori said. “I love what [former Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance executive director] Tina Boyes did for everything here and I am looking forward to seeing where [new Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance executive director] Josh Gippin takes it from here. People should know that Kenmore is a good place with good people who care about the community and want to see them succeed. They need to be here to see it.”
Marigold Sol will host its two-year anniversary celebration this Friday, March 31, from 6 – 8 p.m. The celebration will include snacks, scratch off tickets, discounts and more. Additionally, Marigold Sol is offering extended hours on Saturday from
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Make sure to stop by to congratulate Lori on two years on Kenmore Blvd. and check out everything Marigold Sol has to offer!
Marigold Sol is located at 962 Kenmore Blvd. in Akron and is open Wednesday Through Friday 12pm until 5pm, Saturdays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and by appointment by calling 330-803-0419. You can find them online at marigold-sol.com, on Facebook @marigoldsol and on Instagram @mymarigoldsol.