Once, not that incredibly long ago, a man with a particularly good sense of design and appreciation for anything artisanal (two values both all-too-rare in our day and age) declared it superfluous to have anything in your house "that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." This clever old British chap, known by the name of Mr. William Morris, happens to share my exact sentiment on the topic of interior décor. So imagine my thrill when I stumbled upon a newly-opened joint, tucked just a short distance from downtown SLC, where every single expertly-selected and curated item was not only useful, but equally beautiful. ARTE HAUS COLLECTIF is just that--the house of art. It's a place that houses anything from a superbly stylish cheese knife, to that cool coffee table book you have desperately (and unsuccessfully) tried to source or an expertly-crafted artisan candle. Sound too much like the utopian dream of a design aficionado? Well, pinch yourself, friends, as such a place actually, really, exists, and it can bring the superb art of living to your space. (Queue choir of angels.)
As a somewhat-recent transplant to SLC, my heart literally skips a beat and breaks in the Hallelujah song (at times accompanied by the sudden parting of cloudy skies and reveal of angelic rays of beaming light) at anything that might sound or appear like it originated from the Old Continent [Editor's note: our Helena hails from the distant land of Croatia]. So when one cold and particularly wet afternoon I saw this home with an unusually highly-pitched roof, I simply had to check it out. The Scandinavian vibe was strong with this one, and the closer I got, the harder the building tugged at my homesick heartstrings. And here I was, in a place that had an infinite supply of chunky, soft throws, plush, milky-white rugs and pillows, mountains of unique coffee table books, and charming objet de maison--all perfectly angled, expertly grouped, professionally lit and delicately sprinkled with superb scents of fig and rose water. By the time I spotted the teepee in the back room, surrounded by a mountain of well-illustrated children’s books, I was all but ready to move in. The feeling of admiration, reverence (sans-intimidation), and inviting warmth that commands one to just be in this unique space is almost tangible. The Arte Haus has managed to successfully capture the essence of home, and the actual art of living. My advice: go, dwell, partake in that enriching, uplifting feeling, and grab an artifact or two to take home. We chatted a bit with creator (and artist) of Arte Haus, Holly Addi, on the ins, outs, and how she does it all. All told, this girl seems to be on our level in more ways than one...
How would you describe this unique, inspired little boutique (that houses "well-styled home basics" that are anything but)? Arte Haus Collectif is a beautifully curated art collective and dwell shop in the up and coming lower 9th & 9th area, residing in an old house, recently restored, keeping the integrity of the ‘old’ and bringing in a sense of ‘new.’ The neutral white palette, mixed with the wood and exposed 100-year-old brick, gives this little gem an authentic, European feel. We wanted the space to feel as though you walked into a little place in Paris, Berlin, or Copenhagen.
Talk to us about the original concept behind this idea. I teamed up with Heidi Jube, and together we decided to create a shop inside an art collective, curated with artful finds for the home. The vision was to create a dwell shop that accentuated art and artful living. This led to a collection of things such as beautiful coffee table books, jewelry, and unique finds. I founded Artichokes & Co. when I was 22, fresh out of college, and it was a Salt Lake City staple for 15 years. The concept was magical. Beautiful gifts and designed flowers with a Euro flair, all with great taste and authentic quality. After a long partnership ended, I transitioned Artichokes & Co. into solely a catalog/online company, rebranding and renaming it Olive & Cocoa. I nurtured this for the first five critical years, but after the company started to lose the vision and brand I had created, I decided I needed to be true to who I was, and follow what I believed in. I left Olive & Cocoa in 2014 to continue to foster my career path. My mission was to create a collection of amazing, beautiful designs from an organic standpoint. I now find myself back at the root of what I consider organic, after I experienced small success vs. big business. Heidi and I both see the dwell shop becoming a little gem in SLC that you will remember and will come back to.
Why "Arte Haus Collectif", and was the selection of your objects of art also inspired by Scandinavian influences? The name was derived [from a] love of the European culture and their beautiful sense of design, taste, and living. If one cannot make the trek to Paris, they can come and experience a tiny morsel at Arte Haus Collectif.
Which artists are featured in your art selection? Currently on exhibit we are featuring works from Odile Escolier (Paris, France), Nathalie Leverger (Jolie, France), Tanja Eijgendaal (Denmark), Emily Barletta (Brooklyn, NY), Havoc Hendricks (SLC, Utah), Steve Larson (SLC, UT), and myself.
Do you usually work with a set number of artists, or are you always on the look for a new wunderkind? If so, how would one go about joining your existing crew? Artists that meet our criteria are those we find to be habitable, intriguing, beautiful and authentic. We work with our artists, giving them direction for the exhibit, and letting their creativity explore new realms. We love seeing new artwork. For art submissions, email us at [email protected] (in subject line put "submission").
How would you describe your personal style, and to what extent has it influenced the aesthetic of the shop? [Heidi and I] both feel that design is portrayed in every aspect of life. From the coffee you drink in the morning to the candles you burn to the effortless white tee and jeans you throw on for the day. Design isn’t complicated, but rather very imperfect and should be embraced on all levels. Arte Haus Collectif is a small example of this lifestyle. Simple, minimal, but very well composed. Even the price points we offer are very reasonable to one’s lifestyle. We feel everyone should be able to embrace design without being in a certain socio-economic class.
In the past few years, it seems as though the public has finally discovered, and started sharing our passion, joy and addictive nature of owning handcrafted home goods. Give us the lowdown on your selection. We couldn’t agree more! The philosophy behind Arte Haus Collectif is the melding of the handcrafted and modern. Even our display tables are created from found objects, such as an old fence, not to mention one of our tables is an old slab of wood that made the trek from upstate New York and rests on two sawhorses. We hope this inspires everyone as much as it does us to find beauty and substance in what you have. Even our candles perpetuate the creation of fragrance without reference to the feminine or the masculine, but simply add beauty to the surroundings.
How do you go about selecting which items to curate in your space. Does it rest on the shoulders of one person, or is it the collaborative effort of a few connoisseurs? Somehow you just know when things are right. This is definitely a collaborative effort between both of us, but we definitely hold the same philosophy. It all starts at the root. At the root of it, if we didn’t see the same vision and path, we wouldn’t have traveled this road.
As a fairly new addition to our design community, do you have a sort of a proclamation to the world of what is the essence of who you are, what your mission is, or where you see yourself a few years from now? What's the big picture look like? Arte Haus Collectif doesn’t want to just be another gallery or home shop. We want to inspire people to live a beautiful lifestyle with culture, design, and great aesthetic. We are in the process of curating a clothing line for our back room based on the same philosophy and principles as the art and dwell shop, and will continue to enhance our shop with beautiful brands, pop-up shops, and habitable art!
ARTE HAUS COLLECTIF | 352 E 900 S, SLC | Monday-Saturday, 11:00am to 6:00pm
