When Rob and I were planning our wedding, I made him drive from Silver Lake to Venice on a Saturday afternoon to check out the invitations at Urbanic Paper Boutique based on the amazing things I’d heard about Audrey Woollen’s shop. I was already a fan of her blog Parcel Post, and Urbanic totally lived up to my expectations. The shop is super cute and carries really great cards, papers, gifts items, and stationary. I could barely contain myself from going card buying spree, but we were there on a serious mission: wedding invitations. Audrey helped us through the entire process, making it extremely simple and orderly. She even pulled through at the very last minute, when I realized I’d forgot to have the escort cards calligraphed. (I know, major wedding drama.) Our entire experience with Urbanic was top notch, and we got tons of raves on our invitations. (You can get a sense of the bright theme from the picture of our menu above, shot by our photographer, Bonnie Tsang. She was also awesome!) Audrey agreed to do a little interview even though she’s in the midst of numerous events, moving, running her business, and due to have a baby any day! Check out our chat…
Take Sunset: I know you’re originally from the East Coast. Why did you decide to move to LA and what was that transition like?
Audrey Woollen: I moved out here after my husband and I became engaged. We were dating long distance, and he was already living in Los Angeles, so he pretty much let me pick where I wanted to live. The transition was tough! I’m a true East Coaster (it’s in my blood). I was born and raised in the city, so moving to LA felt like moving to a different country. It took me a long time to adjust and to start feeling comfortable here. Venice was my top choice when I moved to California, because I loved the creative, community feel of the neighborhood. There is lots to love about living here now, but admit I do miss the seasons.
TS: And how did you decide to open Urbanic Paper Boutique in Venice?
Woollen: My husband and I both loved how alternative and eclectic Abbot Kinney was, even before it became anything. The two of us always knew and believed it would sprout, so we were eying it for years, just waiting for the right time.
TS: Can you talk a bit about your clientele and the kind of atmosphere you want to create at Urbanic?
Woollen: We have an amazing group of customers. Our clientele is definitely one of the best parts of having a shop where we do; there really is never a dull moment.Urbanic attracts a creative and style-minded type of person, so we have many architects, actors, designers, stylists, advertisers, bloggers, and design enthusiasts of all sorts who shop here. The atmosphere we created was meant to feel boutique-y, curated, and specialized. We wanted it to be a place to find well-designed and rare stationery, as well as cool unique gifts and treasures. The vision for the bridal lounge was a cozy and refined parlor of inspiration for couples who care about all the details of their wedding day, a place to unwind and enjoy the experience of the process, instead of just another to-do.
TS: What are some of the pros and cons of owning a business in Venice?
Woollen: The pros are that the amazing neighborhood brings customers who totally get our vision and aesthetic. The cons are that the parking is tough, rents are high, and we’ve been vandalized a few times.
TS: What are some of your favorite things to do in Venice?
Woollen: I love going on family bike rides and morning strolls through all the little neighborhoods. Venice has amazing architecture, and there is always something new being built. Gjelina is hands down my favorite restaurant. A few other places I love in our area are Tortoise General Store, Colcha, Intelligentsia, Lemonade, Jin Patisserie, and our local farmers market.
TS: And lastly, anything new coming up at Urbanic that you’d like to tell Take Sunset’s readers about? Perhaps plans to open up a shop in Silver Lake? I’d love that!
Woollen: I would seriously love to open a shop in Silver Lake. It is something we’ve considered, and if we weren’t living in Venice, we’d probably be there now. We’ll see. You never know. As for immediate plans, we are working on a Holiday event scheduled for December 2nd at the Urbanic. Special guests Snow and Graham will be flying in from Chicago to host a project-social. We’ll be using scraps from their adorable wraps to make festive, stylish holiday garlands for decorating. There will be cupcakes, hot chocolate, and many other special features throughout the night. The details will be posted on our blog and website closer to the event.
TS: We’ll be sure to keep an eye on that! And thanks so much for doing this interview, Audrey.
Urbanic Paper Boutique
1644 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 401-0427
Open: Monday-Saturday 10 am-7 pm, Sunday 10 am-6 pm
