Marijo Martini learned silversmithing two decades ago, for a deeply personal reason: to craft her own wedding band. This project kickstarted an “unabated obsession” with metalwork, leading her to start a jewelry brand, Martini Metal Craft, in 2011 as a vehicle for her creations.
But while metalsmithing is Martini’s own passion, she’s long dreamed of using her business to support others’ passions, too. She’s now doing just that with Martini Mercantile, the newest retail addition to the Sunnyland neighborhood.
“I think about all the friends that I have, and how much wonderful art they make,” Martini said. “I want to show them off. And so this, to me, is the space where I want it to happen.”
Located in an old house on Iron Street, Martini Mercantile is a tribute to the corner stores Martini remembers from her childhood in Pennsylvania. The inventory is curated yet eclectic, with products ranging from perfume and stationery to leather, gifts, candy and of course, jewelry.
In the shop’s back room, Martini creates her signature, simple-yet-refined necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings. She has decades of silversmith experience and wants to broaden her skillset to include welding and blacksmithing. Everything Martini designs is made to last — and yes, she still loves crafting engagement rings.
“You’re always expanding your knowledge, and I love that about [metalsmithing],” Martini said.
“Something about working with metal, it takes a lot of practice … and so this has taught me patience.”
But Martini Mercantile is more than a jewelry shop, as Martini stocks goods from other makers in the U.S., Europe and even Japan: “I also like to support products that I believe in, people that I believe in and communities that I believe in,” she added. “I want people, and my friends, to benefit from this. It’s not just about me.”
Certain goods, like Blackbird incense and Harmony Fields textiles, are made locally or in the Pacific Northwest. Other products are international: Martini stocks handbags and backpacks from a brand called Pickpocket, whose owners she met at an outdoor market in Portugal. She’s also the only American retailer of the (appropriately named) Martini Sportswear brand, which she discovered by happenstance while traveling Austria.
“The products that I have in here are stories that I can tell,” she said, “because I’m familiar with what I’m selling and I know the people that I’m selling [from].”
Going forward, Martini hopes the shop might become a Sunnyland destination, the kind of place shoppers stroll to after brunch at a nearby cafe. She wants customers to feel “like they can come in and have a conversation,” whether that be with neighbors or Martini herself.
“I want them to feel like they can walk out with something,” she continued, “whether it’s, ‘I just need a little hard candy to have for the day,’ or, ‘I’m having a dinner party and I need a little something to put on the table to zhuzh things up,’ or, ‘I’m going on a trip and I need something to take with me.’”
Martini also envisions the house itself as a dynamic space: Three different artists are set to move upstairs in 2025, and she’d eventually like to turn the basement into a ceramics studio. Martini even plans to host events, whether they be summertime antique pop-ups or European-style Christmas markets.
Of course, these goals are secondary to a more imminent task: navigating Martini Mercantile’s first holiday season. Martini knows retail isn’t easy, and she’s grateful for the support that allowed her to realize a long-held dream. As her friends would tell you, she’s talked about owning such a shop for decades.
“I’m always lecturing other people: You should chase your dreams,” Martini said. “And finally, I listened to myself.”
Martini Mercantile is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday–Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday–Sunday at 2100 Iron St. Info: martinimercantile.com.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
