A Brick-and-Mortar Etsy

Home to handmade and print goods from all around the country, Domestica in downtown Des Moines brings Etsy to life.

Located at 505 E Grand Ave. in Des Moines, Domestica is a shop combining handmade and print goods from artists all around the country.

Nestled next to Raygun on E Grand Ave. is Domestica, a little store consisting of just over 800 square feet. Pedestrians may walk right by the store if it weren’t for the bright orange sign on the sidewalk indicating “Cute and Cool” in bold blue lettering with an arrow pointing to the open door. From the window, shimmery silver strands of a curtain hanging inside, as well as twinkling globe lights and strings of bright flowers, can be seen. “Domestica” is spelled in simple white letters on the outside of the window, allowing the bright orange sign to do the main work of attracting customers.

Outside of Domestica on E Grand Ave., this bright sign stands alone on the sidewalk, attracting customers from both sides of the street to the open door of Domestica. Owner Chrissy Jensen estimates that hundreds of people are drawn into the store when big events are happening downtown.

The customers, mainly women, come and go, the sign doing its work and drawing them into the lively vibe of the store as they walk by. When they enter, they are greeted by the quiet sounds of R&B music and are surrounded by shelves that hold enamel pins, stickers, patches and keychains with sayings such as “Stay nasty” and “The future is female.” Prints line the white walls, creating contrast with their bright colors, and some are placed in bins and racks that customers can flip through to find their favorite. All of these items are handmade from artists around the country whose work customers may otherwise never get the chance to see.

Upon walking into Domestica, customers can turn to the right corner of the store and see this pretty scene along with the vibrant colors of the goods surrounding the store. “I hope overall when people come in here, they’re like, ‘This place is really fun. It’s really bright and cheerful,’” Jensen says.

Owner Chrissy Jensen opened Domestica in 2010 after getting involved with Etsy. Her experience with Etsy prompted her to open her own store selling handmade goods, starting out in a 400 square feet building and eventually expanding and moving into its current location on 505 E Grand Ave. Jensen says that a lot of the work featured in the store is chosen by her so that each piece of work will fit the modern, professional aesthetic of the store.

“There’s a lot of people making stuff out there, and it’s all super cute, but it has to fit,” Jensen says. “We just won’t take it and stick it in here, so the design of the store, the way it looks, is equally as important to us.”

The dish of buttons (left) and the table with stickers and pins (right) show off the quirky style of Domestica. Jensen says the items in the store are all modern handmade items, and all of them reflect the personality of the artists and add to the colorful aesthetic of the store.

In the right corner of the store, a string of pink hearts indicates five rows of love cards with statements like “BAE” and “Damn! You Look Good” printed on them. On the left, necklaces hang from a peg board, while other jewelry sits out on white shelves and tables nearby. Stacked in the shelves are custom Des Moines T-shirts depicting scenes from the city. Everything is organized so that customers have to walk through the entire store to ensure they don’t miss anything.

Custom printed cards, like the love cards (left) and the celebratory cards (right) are featured on multiple walls of the store. Jensen says that a lot of the prints in the store are made with careful thought at old paper presses by small companies of less than 10 people.

Once customers are sure they have selected the right items, they find Jensen eagerly waiting for them at the wooden checkout counter in the back of the store. One customer purchases several items as a gift, saying to Jensen, “This is my favorite place to buy presents for people.” Another says, “This place really is the best.”

These customers reflect the unique experience of getting to experience handmade goods in person instead of online on sites like Etsy. From the moment they walk in, they are surrounded by items handmade by artists and handpicked by Jensen entirely for their pleasure.

“The reason that the brick and mortar exist, at least for me, is this is for us,” Jensen says. “This is for Des Moines people and Iowans and people who are visiting Iowa so they can see that we do have things here that are cool and fun. The brick and mortar is just to provide an experience for people…The store is just a way of contributing…to the culture of our city.”