Welcome Back to the O + A Blog!

We can’t believe we finally made it, what a miracle! We’ve been so focused on moving and setting up our new location on the square (it’s just around the corner from our last location), we’ve hardly had a chance to breathe! It’s been worth every minute of the difficulty, the waiting, and the hard work. Someone pinch us! We now get to spend our days with a gorgeous view of our bustling little downtown with so many people walking together, gathering inspiration, spending time with their people, and taking in all the beauty this city has to offer. I can’t believe we are finally saying this but- Onyx + Alabaster has moved to Historic Downtown Franklin, TN!

Although it’s been a year since we started talking about our move, it seriously has felt like a lifetime. The wait was long, but so worth it! There were so many details we had to think about not only in the renovation details, but in the products we wanted to offer. We also wanted this new spot to be so much more. We wanted it to be an “experience.” Adding the coffee lounge to our already design studio and home market, we wanted this new location to be a place for people to linger, to connect, and to find inspiration. The outcome has blown my mind, and the response has truly been a dream come true!

Not only did we get to set up in a new spot, but we get to be in a historic building that is rich with history! Sidenote: our building was the original Franklin Fire Hall, one of the first built in Downtown Franklin, and served the city in many ways. Let’s put it this way, it was here before cars were, check out these old pics we were able to dig up of our building from years past.

The History: Historic Downtown Franklin, TN

It’s amazing to think about what these walls have seen, and knowing that our new Coffee Lounge once held fire trucks living inside is amazing! (Nod to our Franklin Firefighters – we appreciate all you do! AND thanks for sharing your history with us!)

Knowing the richness of our building, we wanted to honor that as we updated it. We sought to enhance the already classically beautiful features and design qualities of the original bones of the building by keeping the original brick, staircase, and wood floors. 

The Updates: From Fire Station to Home Market + Coffee Lounge

If you haven’t been by yet, you’ll see we’ve expanded in many ways. Downstairs, you’ll find the Home Market, spanning multiple rooms and extending upstairs as well. In addition to that, we now offer a place for people to grab a beverage as they shop. Our new Coffee Lounge is also featured on the first floor. As you walk up the stairs (check out our new runner!), you’ll also notice the gallery wall of local artists featured on the walls. We love inspiring artisans within our community to share their work with the world, that’s why we’ve partnered with many of our people to feature their art within our home market. We want you to be able to incorporate local art within your home, bringing in local beauty to create beauty. It’s full circle.

Within the Home Market you’ll find so much more than ever with new furniture lines, textiles, accents and so much more. One of our favorite and most talked about features is our new Alchemy Wall. We’re not gonna give you the details on that, we want you to come in and experience it for yourselves. But to give you a sneak peek, you’ll get a free bit of inspiration if you come by!

Within the Coffee Lounge, we offer specialty coffee from Onyx Coffee Lab. It’s amazing coffee, you’re going to love it! We also offer small bites, so you can come in for coffee and something delicious, whether sweet or savory.

We positioned our design studio upstairs where the natural light is amazing! We’ve expanded our design service offerings to fit all of your needs! We wanted the studio to feel immersive with colors, textures, samples, and to be aesthetically inspiring. 

Check out all of our design services here.

We Hope to See You Soon in Downtown Franklin, TN!

As you can see we’ve been busy! Now that we’ve settled in, we are so excited to get back to the things we love, connecting with you! We can now give this blog the time and attention it deserves. We have so much to share, from design tips, to before and after transformations, to the latest interior decorating trends, and so much more!

Our mission is to inspire you to live a full and beautiful life! We were founded upon a love for people and a desire to see transformation. O+A goes after the potential of what a home could be, and we love how simple design elements can transform how a person feels, lives, and loves, within a space. 

We hope you can make it by! We can’t wait for you to see all the new things, taste the delicious coffee, and for you to find a bit of inspiration in a season where that might be lacking. Come meet someone new, or plan time with a friend to experience all that we’ve been working on for so long. We can’t wait to step into this new season with you, with fresh vision and a renewed hope! 

Welcome back to O+A blog!

Your friend + designer,

*Edited photos of Onyx + Alabaster by Allison Elefante.

*Historic photos of Onyx + Alabaster building courtesy of The Downtown Franklin Association