New Douglas Design District collective to feature markets and new businesses

Tiffany Farha wasn’t looking for a new building for her self-named design firm. She simply wanted a warehouse to have extra inventory.

Instead, she’s now moving Tiffany Farha Design and her Shop Tiffany retail store to 233 S. Lulu and starting the Collective at Lulu to expand her business and house others as well.

Farha said she expects the businesses to create a “ton of energy there.”

“I have renters, different vendors that will create energy around this five-building collective, and we will have markets and events.”

She said she’s close to being able to announce those new businesses.

Currently, Farha’s businesses are in a Spanish-style former gas station at 2820 E. Central just west of Hillside.

“So I adore this space,” she said. “It’s a wonderful space.”

However, in addition to being out of room and wanting to grow her business, Farha said she also wants to own her own building.

Now, she’s going to own several. In addition to the 3,000-square-foot building where she’ll move her office, Farha will have outbuildings, including 1,100 square feet where the Optimistic Elephant yoga studio is, another existing 1,100-square-foot building and a 500-square foot building along with another 1,100-square-foot building that she’ll build for her showroom.

“It was really sort of kismet,” Farha said of finding the properties.

Her real estate agent showed her a lot of buildings that Farha said were what she thought she wanted, but she wasn’t moved to buy any of them. Then the agent showed her the Lulu properties, and Farha said she realized they’re what she actually wanted.

“I wanted to be able to show my look, my favorite things . . . in a space that was curated by me.”

She said she’s going from a Spanish style “into a crafstman style that will feel like a modern farmhouse.”

Farha said she likes the idea of moving into the Douglas Design District, too.

The first market at the buildings will be Nov. 7.

“We’re using that sort of as our grand opening,” Farha said.

She’ll have more information about the market and her new tenants soon.

Though it’s not exactly what she planned, Farha said it’s absolutely what she wants.

“It’s just another level of my dream that I want to realize.”

This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 5:00 AM.