BY BRIANNA RHODES — There’s no better way to go green and buy local than with interior design firm, Green Owl Design. The interior design firm has a new location in the Hyattsville Arts District on 5303 Baltimore Ave. and the owners are excited about the opportunity to grow. People from the community and surrounding areas are able to shop at this boutique to buy and support local products ranging from greeting cards to furniture right at their fingertips.
Green Owl Design recently moved two blocks from their old location in the Palmer Building on Gallatin Street. Owners Erica Riggio and Angela Justice said they are excited about their new move and the future for their business.
“We wanted to be very visible on Route 1, so this [the building] opened up for us and this happened,” said Riggio.
Green Owl Design moved into its new space this past September and participated in the Hyattsville Arts Festival, but recently held a grand opening in late October.
“We pretty much took ownership of really selling ourselves and letting the owner know why we need to be here,” said Riggio about finding their new space. “I think you have to do that, you have to come with a plan and presentation for people to take you seriously.”
“They are super talented young ladies and they have a great business,” said Daniel Simon, the Palmer Building owner commenting on Green Owl Design’s move. “They chose a great spot in the historic district of Hyattsville. That’s right in the middle of what’s going on and they will do absolutely fabulous.”
The new location on Baltimore Avenue offers more space and the owners are able to showcase a little bit more product and have a separate workspace where they are able to have an office in the back of the boutique.
“We really believe in reusing and, of course, being green; we were able to work with the owner of the building to actually renovate the space,” said Riggio. “This space was really bad, and to help revitalize the local kind of business scape was really important to us because we worked with local businesses along this corridor. We have great ideas for this space so it’s been exciting.”
The lease on their Palmer Building space will end in December. Until then, they are featuring two artists: PM Colby and Lazy Panda.
The boutique aims to be a resource for all design related needs and it prides itself on incorporating an abundance of local artists’ work.
“We just really hope to keep growing and hope to really be the resource and the place for people to turn to in this area and beyond for design for home furnishing, for artwork, for everything,” said Justice. “We really want to be that first place that you think of when you think of anything design.”