Elevating Handmade To Affordable Luxury

Marlo Miyashiro from Seattle, WA

What do you like about Seattle?

I grew up in Southern California, but after one summer visit to Seattle in ‘96, I knew this was home. I promised myself I’d never take its beauty for granted, and I fall in love with it every day!

How did you start your business?

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. As a kid, I turned my room into a "Barbie Mall" and invited my mom to shop! I grew up watching my parents run their own businesses—my mom sold handmade dolls, and my dad ran an auto repair shop—so turning creativity into a career always felt possible.

My journey started in jewelry-making, which led to launching a wholesale line sold in 200+ stores. Eventually, I moved to Seattle, where I organized the local Etsy team and dreamed of opening a shop for independent artists.

That dream became reality in 2015 when I opened a pop-up shop in downtown Seattle’s Pacific Place mall with 35 artists. We quickly became a full-time tenant introducing handmade work to mall shoppers.

Alongside running the store, I also teach workshops and speak at creative business conferences to help makers and artists navigate the world of selling their work.

What are your income streams?

We have a 4,000 sq. ft. retail storefront in downtown Seattle representing 260 artists, just steps from Nordstrom, plus two websites. One website is curated handmade goods. The other is fine art jewelry & ceramics.

How have you grown your business?

Resilience has been key. We’ve faced major challenges—from a five-year building renovation that forced us to move four times, to navigating the pandemic—but we’ve held strong. We’ve adapted and stayed true to our mission of elevating handmade.

What’s your favorite product?

I personally curate every item in the shop and ask myself:

Would I love this enough to bring it home?

If the answer is yes, it’s in! I especially love ceramics—though I’ve never allowed myself to try making them for fear of becoming completely obsessed!

If you could go back, what would you do differently?

I would have closed Bezel & Kiln as a separate storefront sooner. I loved the concept, but keeping it going longer than we should have made things much harder financially.

What are your goals?

We’re celebrating 10 years in business this November! My hope is to keep things thriving while our building continues to rebuild its foot traffic.

I’m also looking forward to expanding my workshop offerings and speaking at more events to support artists in growing their businesses.

What tools do you use?

Square for our in-store point of sale

Shopify for both websites

Thrive by Shopventory for inventory management

Do you have a favorite quote?

The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling. -Fabienne Fredrickson

Do you have a favorite podcast?

Bringing Business to Retail, Rooted in Retail, Social Media Marketing, Tell Me Something Good About Retail, and Akimbo (Seth Godin).

Marlo’s cat named Sweetie.

Where can we find you online?

Instagram & Facebook: @thehandmadeshowroom
Website: thehandmadeshowroom.com Website: bezelandkiln.com