S Squared Designs boutique set to open February 1

If you have walked past the old Thermopolis EyeCare building at 110 N. 5th and wondered what is going on inside, you are not alone. Behind the wooden enclosure is the beginning of Thermopolis’ newest storefront: S Squared Designs.

Named after the two co-owners, Stefanie Gilbert and Stephanie Conrad, the store found its beginnings in conversations with local artisans who produce unique, handcrafted works of art. Gilbert and Conrad, who have in the past produced handmade wooden signs and refinished furniture under the moniker The Junk Drawer, decided to take over the recently vacated building.

S Squared Designs, however, is not just a space for Gilbert and Conrad to showcase their own works. The store was described as a “shabby chic” boutique that will carry exclusively goods that are either handmade or made in Wyoming.

The home decor store will carry goods like the now popular 307 Beards line of beard care items, jewelry made in Powell, end tables made by an artist in Riverton, wreaths from Ten Sleep, knives from an artisan in Cody, and shortly after Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan.

Gilbert and Conrad were careful to make sure their new store ‘didn’t step on any toes’ by carrying items available at other Thermopolis shops, allowing a space for truly unique and hard to find items that Gilbert describes as rustic shabby chic.

In order to expand the store’s offerings even further, the duo will soon travel to New Orleans, La., in mid-February to undertake training to sell Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan. The course will allow them to offer classes and training for those wishing to use the paint to add a neat touch to their home.

The store is set to open on Feb. 1, and during their first day both Gilbert and Conrad will be in their 5th Street storefront from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular hours throughout the winter will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 1-6 p.m., Wednesdays from 11-6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10-5 p.m. Hours will be extended during the warmer seasons.