Apex’s creative new business: part artists’ studio and part handmade gift shop
BY SAMANTHA GRATTON
If you’re looking for locally crafted treasures, stroll down the street in downtown Apex and head to The Studio, whose tagline says it all: “a maker space, for makers, by makers.” You’ll find a wide variety of 20 different local artists’ wares, all beautifully arranged and ready for you to take home.
The Studio’s owners believe everyone who walks in should get some sort of “treat”—whether that’s the freshly baked cookie they share, a handmade creation you buy, inspiration from one of their classes or maybe even a friendly hello from the shop dog.
The Studio is one of Apex’s newest additions to its downtown as of April 2024, and its owners are making themselves at home on West Chatham Street. Lauren Hooper, Jamie Rayner and Caitlyn Frank are the creatives, shop owners and founders of The Studio. They curate local pieces and make their own works in-house. Their shared collaboration and vision extend to those who come into The Studio, offering visitors the sense of being one of the group—and maybe even inspiring them to create something themselves.
“We want it to feel very inspiring to people, whether or not they are makers,” says Hooper. “So everything is really fun and colorful. We want people to take home a little treat and know that a real person made this thing, and feel connected to that maker community.”
Meet the Makers
Rayner began her career in television news in New Bern and later moved to the Cayman Islands for six years. She originally envisioned a life of climbing the corporate ladder in the communications field, but after returning to the U.S. right before the pandemic and not being able to find a job, she had to pivot. Rayner knew she wanted one day to become a small business owner, and she decided to create her own job. She now makes handcrafted soaps and soy candles, selling them through Moonstone Soap & Candle Company.
Frank, who grew up in Cary, moved to California and worked as an elementary school teacher for years. At the beginning of each year she’d ask her students what they wanted to be when they grew up—and one day, she realized her own answer to that question was “florist” instead of “teacher.”
After working for other florists for a while, Frank went out on her own. She specializes in creating custom floral art for weddings, events and special occasions through her business, Golden Flora. “I’ve never worked as hard in my life on anything,” says Frank, “but it has been very fulfilling and exactly what I want to be doing.”
Hooper, originally from South Carolina, began her career as a school social worker before spending a few years teaching abroad in South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. She wanted to do something that fulfilled her creatively after moving to North Carolina. Today, she makes colorful polymer clay earrings as the owner of Lauren Likes.
While their businesses began individually, the three creatives met while working side-by-side at a co-working space in Cary in 2023. Before long, they determined they would thrive in their own space and joined together to make it possible.
They needed a retail space to sell their creations, natural light with plenty of counter space for their work, an outdoor gathering space, and a kitchen where they could make candles and soap. After much searching, they came upon the historic building in downtown Apex that houses The Studio today. They knew right away it was exactly what they needed.
The Shop
With the help of their families and community, Frank, Hooper and Rayner renovated the big white house on Chatham Street. They painted the walls with colorful murals that curl around the room like ribbons. The outdoor sign, workshop tables, display tables and custom countertop for the register were built by family members. The styles of all three makers and their businesses were blended to build a space at which they all love to work each day.
In addition to running their individual pursuits, they’ve taken on new roles in their collaborative business. Hooper runs the social media, Rayner oversees the retail space, and Frank is the “house mama” who keeps everyone organized.
In addition to setting up a workshop and retail space for themselves, they recruited other makers to be a part of what they were doing. Rayner says they asked themselves, “How do we create a thriving space for us and other creators, and then an environment that is fun and welcoming and creative?”
An illustrator and a henna artist also now call The Studio home for their workspaces. The rotating group of 20 local artists with retail goods for sale are all chosen and promoted with care. The owners want to foster a supportive space—one that uniquely appreciates and empathizes with the needs of working artists.
“We’re in the thick of it. We’re all three running our own businesses that do workshops, that do these creative things … We understand exactly what it’s like to be in their shoes,” says Frank. “I definitely feel like that is a different advantage we have. These are our people.”
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