Meet the new owner of MilwaukeeHome, Steph Davies

Steph Davies has been a fan of MilwaukeeHome since the beginning. 

When Davies opened the original location of her art and gift shop, The Waxwing, in 2012, Melissa Thornton Kuykendall's T-shirts printed with her simple stacked letter design were some of the first products sold. 

Since then, Davies' shop has moved to a larger location on North Avenue, and at the beginning of July she became the owner of the MilwaukeeHome brand. 

The two artists and entrepreneurs have forged into an "open adoption" through the change in ownership. 

"I know what it's like to create a business and grow that business, and have had times in my life where I've thought of selling The Waxwing," Davies said. "So I know how difficult that decision is to make. MilwaukeeHome is Melissa's first child. She's trusting me with it, which is such an incredible honor, and I plan on talking through any big ideas with her to make sure it lives on in her vision."

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Davies said she wasn't sure about taking on another project — she already owns The Waxwing, runs her personal brand Dear Darlington and has two children. But, Davies said Thornton convinced her she could do it and do it well. Thornton sold the business to Davies to spend more time with her family. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Question: How will The Waxwing and MilwaukeeHome work together? 

Davies: The Waxwing will now sell the entire line of MilwaukeeHome branded products (not just T-shirts) and we'll be working with artists that have been in the shop for years to bring new products to the surface. We've also connected with artists who were already in the MilwaukeeHome space to sell at The Waxwing as well.  MilwaukeeHome's storefront will be a home for the brand with a carefully curated selection of locally made items that focus specifically on Milwaukee as a city, while the Waxwing will continue to offer a varied selection of handmade goods from makers around the country. 

As far as my personal work, I'll be working on a series of drawings and jewelry to incorporate to MilwaukeeHome but will also continue developing personal projects that have nothing to do with either storefront.

Q: How do you see MilwaukeeHome growing and evolving?

Davies: At the moment, the focus is on getting back to the heart of the brand and connecting with local artists to bring their ideas to the brand with new products. Currently we're working with Tactile Craftworks to develop a line of leather journals, travel mugs, passport wallets, flasks and patches. For the shirts, our focus is on building up stock and giving more people access to the designs that already exist.

Q. How did you end up in Milwaukee? 

Davies: I'm from Kansas City. I went to school in Chicago at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and while living there I met my husband. (We both played weekly at the same open mic.) Matt, my husband, was from Waukesha, and after packing up our apartment and spending two months on the road playing music, we ended up here in a condo owned by his family that happened to be empty at the time. It was supposed to be a temporary move while we figured things out, but 10 years later, we're still here.

Q. What does MilwaukeeHome mean to you? 

Davies: MilwaukeeHome, to me, is about community. Finding that place that feels like home because of the people around you, or because of the feeling you get when you're here, or because you keep finding your way back. You don't have to live here or be from here, it's about the connection you feel to Milwaukee.

Sarah Hauer can be reached at shauer@journalsentinel.com or on Instagram @HauerSarah and Twitter @SarahHauer.