Downtown terrarium studio returning with more space

A mother and daughter team are getting ready to re-open their terrarium-building studio in a new downtown Dayton home.

Now and Zen DIY Studio, co-owned by mother and daughter team Paula Willis and Alleah Cooks, will have a grand re-opening at 11 a.m. April 16 at the new location, 121 E. Third St.

The new 1,200-square-foot home in the Fire Blocks District gives the business more room for group events, as well as more room for orders for their growing online business.

Now and Zen’s specialties include helping people make terrariums, which are essentially miniature gardens in some type of small vessel. They have do-it-yourself kits, a terrarium bar to assemble on site, and pre-made terrariums displayed that are for sale.

Among the studio’s offerings, groups can hold private events or corporate team-building activities at the space. The groups can make a terrarium or other related project together, with guided help from the shop staff.

“We needed more space because we had more requests for corporate events and personal celebrations,” Willis said.

The business sells easy-care house plants, ready-made terrariums, crystals, and terrarium do-It-yourself kits. Some of their kits are geared toward toward children who want to make a craft. People can also shop during regular business hours and create a terrarium from the vessels, plants, and embellishments on their terrarium bar.

They also have a space for outside local artists to sell their products.

“We’re proud that have a space where we spotlight local artists, and we sell their items for them at no charge at all to them,” Willis said.

Willis said they also aim to have some special project workshops. People can follow along on social media or sign up for emails on their website shopnowandzen.com if they want to keep up with events or updates.

The business originally opened at a stall at 2nd Street Market, and grew to a studio at 37 S. St. Clair St., before moving to the Fire Blocks. They also have a high rated Etsy shop.

At their grand opening on April 16 they’ll have spin-the-wheel discounts and gifts, and a DIY “succulent in a mug” for sale for either customers’ own mugs or from the store’s inventory.

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