The more I think about it, the more I realize I was made to go into business. I mean, some guys and gals drive by houses for sale and dream about decorating the home, doing the garden, et cetera. I go by storefronts for rent and dream about renovating them and putting a design studio in them!

It doesn’t really matter if it’s a suitable storefront or not, I can’t help myself. If I see a “For Rent” signs, I start imagining opening a business there. What’s close by? What’s the parking like? What’s the foot traffic like? What needs work? What architectural details could really shine with a little work? Does it get lots of natural light?

This spot above, 268 Commercial Street, has been empty since I moved to North Sydney last year. Whenever I walk by it I peek inside and mentally set up my studio.

And this place became available recently. I absolutely love the art deco-inspired entryway.

And then there is this building (above) which was a bank ages ago, and then was the library, and recently has become a number of shops, including Escape Outdoors and La Quaintrelle. I love what the new owners are doing with the space!

I just love the feeling of a downtown, too. The hustle and bustle, and mix of so many different businesses, and types of people. I don’t know when it will be, it could be years down the road, but I hope to someday be able to have a brick-and-mortar location for my work. And, I hope it’s a building with lots of character (and hopefully not too many leaks!).

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Want more downtown-business inspiration? Here are all the posts on A Beautiful Mess about their shop Red Velvet (which recently closed because they are moving on to new ventures, but which was awesome from the looks of things). It was in a beautiful old building and I love how they decorated their shop.

Also on A Beautiful Mess, these are all the posts they do in a series called “At Work With…” and there are lots of great renovated workspaces to check out.

And this video, which aired during the Super Bowl, is an ad for jewellery design company Alex and Ani, but the ad is about how they purposefully locate their stores in downtown areas to help revitalize them.