Owner Melanie Michaud with pup, Maven
Minimalism is the mantra of Melanie Michaud’s new made-for-Bankers-Hill boutique. Sectioned into Brooklyn-inspired home and pantry goods, high-end lifestyle products, and clean beauty, Thread + Seed is a far cry from Graffiti Beach, the South Park staple she opened five years ago. And that’s the point.
“I wanted to embrace who I am today,” Michaud says. “I started Graffiti Beach when I was young, more rebellious. I liked quirky, fun gifts. As I’ve grown, I’ve focused more on quality products instead of buying so many different things.” Thread + Seed is a reflection of that matured taste, or as Michaud put it, “going back to basics.”
Purses, eyewear, throws, candles, and other lifestyle items are sprinkled throughout the shop, whereas pantry stuffs—like cookbooks, sauces, and salts—populate a back wall. Front- of-store inventory includes Appointed brand office supplies, Smitten on Paper cards, and See Scout Sleep pet accessories.
Premium products and higher price points aside, there is one element of Graffiti Beach that remains in Thread + Seed: gift giving. The shop carries gift boxes customers can buy premade, or they can customize their own in-store. Bulk orders are also available.
Curated gift boxes are ready-made or customizable
A stunner of Thread + Seed, though, is the beauty bar, boasting brands with nontoxic, natural ingredients, like Little Barn Apothecary, Indie Lee, Herbivore Botanicals, and The Holistic Science Co. “Going back to basics means doing things that are good for your body,” Michaud says. “That is what clean beauty is about. I want to educate customers on the revolution.”
2870 Fourth Avenue, Bankers Hill
A bar hosts clean beauty products for sampling