SHADOWPLAY

Hey everyone, Rae here… Since closing Shadowplay, I’ve wanted to properly reintroduce myself. I’ve been thinking about what Shadowplay meant to me and the Salt Lake City community. It was more than just a store and the objects it contained—it was where creativity bloomed, friendships blossomed, and stories unfolded. I’ve been exploring where interiors and relationships intersect. I’ve discovered that creating authentic spaces is a lot like storytelling. Our homes are canvases for personal narratives, revealing our experiences, values, and identities. I’ve also realized the frustration that comes when our homes don’t quite feel like us. (I am currently living with the remnants of Shadowplay crammed into my spare bedroom.) In this time of self-discovery since closing the business, I’ve been immersed in figuring out how to help people turn their spaces into sanctuaries that deeply resonate with their stories, reflect their true personalities. My passion for community has grown tremendously—I’ve realized that my personal collections are all objects and mementos I’ve collected and purchased from within my community. It feels especially important to me now to nurture my community bonds. Through hosting pop-up events, engaging in discussions, or collaborating on creative projects together, I believe fostering connections and expanding our collection of stories, people, and cherished objects will enrich not only our lives but also the atmosphere of our homes. If you’re curious about my journey and mission, head to the link in my bio for the full story. You can also link to my Substack for deeper insights into why I closed my business and daily musings. Stay tuned for whats next -Rae #curatedinteriors #shopsmall #womenownedbusiness #vintageinteriordesign #customerlove #smallbuisnesslove

THANKS FOR THE GOOD TIMES It only took me 50 something days to make this reel because it was too emotional to reflect back on everything we created together at Shadowplay. I couldn’t have done it without all my friends, their love, their labor, their trucks, and their support over the past 3 years. Salt Lake City is changing and I feel incredibly lucky to have had a blip in its recent time. I love you all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to everyone who made this crazy dream possible. On to the next chapter #womenownedbusiness #shopsmall #fyp #recap #curatedinteriors #saltlakecity #slcsmallbusiness

Rae here, with a heavy but full heart, I am announcing the closure of my brick-and-mortar business, which has been the single hardest decision I have ever had to confront. This decision had been lurking around long before I had to courage to admit it. I wish I could blame the volatile economy or the insane taxes that we pay to aid in the development of a city or country that don’t have our best interests at heart. I wish I could blame the uncertainty of a demolition that has been looming over our block for the last few years, the financial hardships I’ve found myself in, or the crippling debt I’ve accumulated while trying to maintain this business. But the truth is, my heart just isn’t in it anymore. When I first opened Shadowplay in May 2021, there was excitement in the air about new businesses—businesses that survived Covid or better yet, born from it. I was so lucky to have opened when I did; culturally, people were in a place of prioritizing their homes, they prioritized art and artists, makers, designers, chefs, restaurants, mom and pops, and small business owners of every kind. The “world was opening back up,” and Salt Lake City had an openness about her. It felt like people were hungry for a community; they were hungry for something new and unique, and vintage was, and still is, in high demand. Nothing could have prepared me for the quality of people I would meet and the unparalled experiences and connections I have made just by putting myself out there. I have had the honor of meeting so many people—people eager to connect, new people who had just moved to Salt Lake City, old friends popping in for visits, new friends that have now turned into some of my deepest friendships. I got to cultivate a network of likeminded people who have now grown into a rich community, my community. I’ve passed hundreds of items into the hands of incredibly creative, unique, and wonderful human beings who have supported me over the last 3 years. Since 2021, I’ve spent every waking moment of my life invested in Shadowplay. *caption continued in the comments*

We lost a really good one. My sweet Gaia passed unexpectedly this month after 12 amazing years together. So many of you loved her and she was an integral part of shop life on Broadway and what made Shadowplay feel so special. I’m so grateful I got to spend our last few years together bringing her to work and watching her receive the love of so many people in our community. If you didn’t see her with me, she was likely trotting next door to make her rounds at The Post and The Green Ant visiting our other shop friends, greeting customers and sitting on fancy furniture. I’m sure plenty of you purchased furniture from me that she enjoyed with a few dog hairs sprinkled in-between the cushions. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect dog and companion. I am forever grateful I got to share her with so many loving friends and neighbors. She was everything to me and to share her with you all made her that much more special, she was my daily hiking companion, my morning alarm clock, and my shadow that followed me everywhere. I feel so blessed that I had such a perfect dog who was so loved and so loving towards everyone she met. Thank you to all my beautiful friends and customers who came in and gave her so much love. -Rae

I practically leaped out of bed this morning to the sound of Thunder and rain. My fall and morning rituals feel more sacred this time of year, brisk mornings, lit candles, chai tea… naturally, it wouldn’t be complete without Unknown Pleasure wafting through my house. I want nothing more than my home to be filled with rich, cozy, spicy fragrance. I’m not talking about pumpkin spice, I’m talking earthy, wood being loaded into a wood burning stove, mulling spices brewing in the kitchen type or cozy… you feel me? There are a few candles left on my website, order yours now to turn up the cozy weather. Let’s hash it out on this poll for what type of fall fragrance type you are. #fallcandle #smallbusinessowner #septemberrain #slc #womenowned

LEAVE A COMMENT IF THIS KINDA TURNED YOU ON Here I am learning to talk to the camera and telling you a sensual little story about the fragrance notes in my Unknown Pleasure candle. The candle is live on my website for pre-order. Orders get shipped out September 9th or available for local pick up. #smallbusinessowner #sIcbusiness #fragantica #homefragrance #indiefragrance #fallfragrances

PRE-ORDERS ARE OPEN Pre-ordering helps small businesses!! I’ve set up my candle offering pre-orders so that 1. The cost doesn’t have to come out of pocket 2. Allows me to have quality control over my hand poured batches 3. Gives me time to continue to develop my product like providing wholesale pricing for local boutiques! If you pre-order our candle this week it will be available for shipping/pickup on September 9th! So, help a gal out won’t ya? drop a comment about your favorite autumnal past time or just share some love! ❤️ #smallbusinessowner #saltlakecity #shopsic #utahsmallbusiness #utahbusiness #sIcboutique #vintageshop #womeninsmallbusiness #candlelovers #candleshop #scentedcandles

I DOUBTED MYSELF Leading up the New Mexico drop last week, I doubted myself hard. I thought, what a waste… I spent so much time, energy, and limited funds. I brought back a collection of things I thought I was proud of, I started to doubt my abilities over being my own curator, stylist, product photographer, website manager, social media manager and, creative. I was spending hours styling, foraging flowers, creating compositions, videos, photos, editing, and making reels. I had no idea what I was doing. I found myself a heap of a person on the living room floor, like a bomb went off in my house and contemplated what my trajectory as a creative even meant anymore. More than anything it would be my dream to curate collections from the road and somehow get paid for it. I gave it a shot and, it hardly felt worth it. I was challenged by doing something new, without a storefront my home became a studio and I wasn’t prepared for the mental chaos that would bring into my life last week. I wasn’t prepared for how out of practice I was with selling my items, and my selling vision. I realized that everything I was doing was a piece of my soul that I was sharing with the world. This this collection wasn’t just stuff, it was my story, it was my inspiration, memories and love for a place. Relying on your creativity to pay the bills and keep you fed will lead you down some dark thought processes. The fantasy of a 9-5 was feeling seductive, despite having 0 skills to land such a job. I left New Mexico feeling inspired by the creative people around me, the connections I made with people who are working on their own creative path. I was no longer a traveler, I had to put my creativity and vision to the test. I have no idea what I’m doing with my creativity these days, a lot of odds and ends that aren’t fully paying the bills or presenting a clear direction of my path. All I know is, sometimes you gotta do things for your soul. Even if you spent all your money, your website crashed or you have no idea what you’re doing. In the end, your experiences are all you’ve got. -Rae

NEW MEXICO DROP Tomorrow is the day! The collection will be live on our website with local pick up, feel free to DM me for shipping inquiries. Turn on your post notifications if you don’t want to miss it. This collection means the world to me and I hope you all enjoy it. #wabisabi #southwest #santafestyle #vintagehome #vintageinterior #vintagestyle #vintageslc

ABIQUIU NOSTALGIA This painting makes me feel so deeply nostalgic for the hues and colors that make up Abiquiu lake, nothing quite compares to a sunset drive through that majestic canyon, it’s no wonder O’keeffe made so much of her life’s work there. I couldn’t help but feel that the lantern and lavender evoke the feelings of visiting @lospoblanos , there’s a clean, bright, lush side of New Mexico that I don’t think most people realize exists… These photo vignettes go beyond objects and styling, they tell a story that is deeply personal. This is my visual tribute to my ongoing love affair with New Mexico and my time spent there. #georgiaokeefe #newmexicostyle #vintagehomedecor #slcvintage #abiquiu #vintagedrop #secondhandhome

IS IT A CRIME THAT I WANT YOU Drop a comment that you want her to want you too. This gorgeous vase has got the soft brutatism that I love, she’s unique, she demands attention, she holds big flowers. This one will go fast on the New Mexico drop on Tuesday so then on your notifications. #vintagedrop #vintagehomewares #newmexicostyle #santafestyle #wabisabi #smallbusinessowner #vintagehome #desertstyle

NEW MEXICO COLLECTION PREVIEW August 6 at 12pmMST Turn on post notifications if you want to see more previews leading up to our launch day. Our collection will be available on our website with local pick up options. #vintagedrop #vintagecollection #slcvintage #vintagehome #smallbuisiness