Gold, Frankincense and Mirth

Melvin Rowe has handled a lot of clay over the past four decades. He has been a professional potter since 1971, and the former ceramics instructor’s studio has occupied a Victorian-era building by the railroad tracks in Clifton for nearly 20 years. 

 

Pottery Rowe, the studio and shop, offers an array of kitchenware and home accents in a rainbow of original glazes – all designed, thrown, glazed and fired on site. But these pieces aren’t created simply as ornamentation; they’re made (the old-fashioned way, on Rowe’s pottery wheel) to withstand the rigors of microwaves, dishwashers and stoves. 

 

Although Rowe says the pottery shop makes lots of dust, you’d never know it from visiting the showroom, which has expanded since he and wife Vivian recently moved out of the second floor. “We’ve got part of the first floor and part of the second floor as showrooms, and then we expanded to the downstairs a bit more,” he says. 

 

While a trip to Clifton is an excellent way to get a feel for the vibrant colors of his clay creations, the wares are also on display online. Rowe estimates that he and his assistants ship at least one well-padded box a day to destinations as far-flung as Europe, South America and South Africa. And it’s not just dish ware; Pottery Rowe fills a niche market with its line of religious vessels (such as chalices), attracting clergy from all over. 

 

Although every day is a business day, Rowe does rotate in some seasonal items and plans to have a holiday-specific showcase for the most wonderful time of the year. “We’ll have a lot of ornaments,” the Louisville native says. “One of the most popular is the fleur de lis.”

 

Pottery Rowe is located at 2048 Frankfort Ave. in Clifton. The hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact them at (502) 896-0877 or at www.potteryrowe.com.

 

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There’s a fun and funky mix of the native and stylized on Barret Avenue – with happy hours to boot. Regalo Gifts, owned by Laura Applegate, Jon Freels and J.D. Dotson, offers a whimsical selection of candles, watches, books, drink ware, magnets and other novelties. But there’s a bit of local flavor there as well, says Applegate. “My brother J.D. makes quite a few things that we sell in here,” including jewelry and paintings. 

 

While Applegate and Freels take care of the business end, there’s plenty of joy to go around. Regalo hosts “happy hours” every third Thursday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m.  These mini cocktail parties feature a different theme each time. A recent event involved a signing featuring the authors of a rock-and-roll-themed cookbook. “You come by after work and we have a little drink and appetizer, and we’ll have different specials just for that day,” Applegate says. Although December’s third Thursday is out because of the holiday, there will be an open house the first Saturday of December. On that day, December 4, Regalo – the name means “gift” in Spanish – will have extended hours until 9 p.m., with cookies throughout the day. 

 

Applegate and partners have called Barret Avenue their home since 2002, and there’s now a second location at the Galt House. With such an established presence – the shop just won LEO’s Readers’ Choice Award for Best Gift Store for its seventh consecutive year – the “equal partners” call the shots at their own party. “We don’t have any set holiday hours,” says Applegate, “but we’ll likely stay open a little later.”

 

Regalo Gifts, located at 982 Barret Avenue in the Original Highlands, is open Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They can be reached at (502) 583-1798.

 

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Melissa Liptrap loves making things, and her appropriately named Deer Park shop, The Makery, is where creativity comes out to play. With the works of more than 150 artists from all over the nation – about half from this area – Liptrap’s studio/shop is a place to discover and do a bit of inventing yourself.

 

“I try to have two ‘Bring Your Own Project’ nights per month,” she says of the events she began hosting this past summer when the shop moved from Bardstown Road, where it had operated since the fall of 2007. The new place, she says, is “bigger and cozier than the previous location, so it was nice to finally be able to have a place suitable for craft nights and such. It’s something I have wanted to do since opening, but never had enough room.”

 

Even if you’re not creative yourself, there’s no shortage of local talent to inspire gift giving. Along with the contributions of dozens of artisans from all over, Liptrap crafts fabric-based clothing and housewares. (She has her own line of accessories, which she sells under the Dear Inez name, after her late grandmother.) Along with clothing and housewares, Liptrap is working on some “really great hand-stitched ornaments right now that I am excited to put out for the holiday season!” And as for everything else in the window, on the shelves and on the walls, “I love it here,” she says. “I am so lucky to get to select awesome artists that make incredible work.”

 

The Makery is located at 1734 Bonnycastle Avenue at Norris Place. Its hours are Thursday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Currently there is no phone, but you can see a sampling of the shop’s products online at www.ilovethemakery.com.