PLAZA PROFILE: Carina Reimer's The House Warmings & Erica Weiss' Gallery

All week, Shaker Heights Patch has profiled the plaza that starts at the intersection of Chagrin and Lomand boulevards. Today, we'll look at a pop-up-shop by Carina Reimer and the plans of the buildings owner, local artist Erica Weiss.

Carina Reimer of The House Warmings says her vintage furniture and home accessories store is just a pop-up-shop for now.

Erica Weiss, who co-owns the Sussex Corners building it's housed in, hopes the store becomes a fixture.

"We're definitely wanting to keep her there," Weiss said. "I really like her aesthetics. It kind of fits well with contemporary living, especially for that area, where there are a lot of young couples."

Reimer operates in a small space, but its vintage contents are sought after, including some she brought with her from Hamburg, Germany when her family moved to the United States four years ago. She enjoys going to antique shops and markets all over in search of the next cabinet or dresser she will paint and sand to give a person's home a classic feel.

"I'm on the hunt all the time — I went to the Springfield Antique Market, I went to Burton (Township)," she said. "I'm from Germany, so I also brought some stuff with me."

Reimer describes the products as a range of "shabby chic to industrial." Among the items she currently are chandeliers, paintings and a large reproduction of a French clock.

This is Reimer's second stint in America. The family lived in Illinois for a few years, then went back to Germany, where she got her first taste of entrepreneurship helping out in a friend's shop. Now that a job opportunity for her husband brought the family back to the States, Reimer wanted to give her own business idea a try.

Weiss said Shaker Heights Economic Development Director Tania Menesse approached her with the idea of her property housing Reimer's pop-up-shop. Weiss and her husband, David, didn't need much convincing.

"I think Shaker people are craving for unique shops that they can support," Erica said.

Weiss, an artist who owns Juma Gallery in Little Italy, has plans of her own and sees Reimer as a perfect fit. The Weiss family owns three first-floor units at Sussex Corners, including the ones that used to be the homes of Malcolm Brown Gallery and Duffy Liturgical Dance Studio. Between them, Weiss envisions creating a gift gallery similar to the one in Little Italy. At Juma in Shaker, though, she'll use the extra space to compliment the gallery with
a cafe and gathering place, a clothing and jewelry boutique and a local artist co-op or gallery.

"We're going to create a whole experience," Weiss said. "I think that whole strip has a lot of potential, and I really wanted to create an atmosphere where people felt comfortable."

Work is already being done in the corner building at the Chagrin-Lomand intersection. Weiss plans on opening the combination gallery in September.

She's still working on the logistics and placement, but Weiss wants The House Warmings to be part of the operation.

"The possibilities are endless," Weiss said. "I want to get people excited."

The House Warmings is open noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday; 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.