Small Business Saturday: Lake Worth Beach entrepreneur chooses 'joy' after tragedy, opens artisan gallery
LAKE WORTH BEACH — Denise Savela fulfilled her lifelong dream on Nov. 12. That was the day she opened The Cozy Cottage LWB.
Her husband Tim died in December. The pandemic had kept her in her Lake Worth Beach home too long. Two close friends, a decade younger than her, also died. Her arthritis is getting worse.
“I decided I want to live boldly. I choose joy. That’s why I did this. It’s been a life-changing experience,” said the 61-year-old Detroit native, stepping gingerly among the myriad of colored macramé, stained glass, paintings and other handmade art in the Dixie Highway vintage and artisan gallery.
Economics is what keeps most small business entrepreneurs awake at night. They fret about overhead, insurance, paying employees and keeping customers happy.
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Money isn’t her motivation, Savela freely admits. She taps her heart, wipes away a tear, and says when Tim died, she was sparked to make changes. “Tim died at the end of the pandemic, just when we could start living again. I realized how short and precious life is,” she said.
Savela renewed old high school friendships. She attended her 40th high school reunion. She researched her ancestry.
One of the new friends she made was Nancy Kumpulainen, an artist and longtime Lake Worth Beach resident who lives in College Park. “Denise is very passionate about this. I’m excited to be a part of it,” said Kumpulainen, who has hand-cut collage art in Cozy Cottage.
Before opening Cozy Cottage, Savela turned down an offer from friends to go to Alaska with them, a decision she now regrets. But a friend also invited her to Argentina after Tim died.
Eight glorious days is what she remembers. “In Buenos Aires, they live joyously and vibrantly. They sip coffee in the beautiful city square. There are marionette shows. It revived me,” she said.
Upon her return, she noticed a building that had been vacant for about eight years on North Dixie Highway was for rent. She knew the owner. She made an offer to rent the 700-square-foot building. The owner accepted.
Gallery sells handmade art, paintings, stained glass by local artists
Savela spent about $12,000 for financing, redecorating and painting the walls robin-egg blue. She called her friends who are artists to put their work on display at The Cozy Cottage. Savela gets a portion of the sales price and a commission on the sales.
Nora makes art glass and painting. Nancy does collage art. Cathy makes folding paper designs. Kimberly makes rope lamps.
“I want people to come here and feel joy,” said Savela.
Like most entrepreneurs, Savela has led a versatile business life.
She came to Lauderhill in Broward County in 1982 while she was working for Detroit-based Little Caesars Pizza. She moved to Palm Beach County in 1984 while working for The Gap. In the late 1990s, she and a partner operated a roller hockey league.
“We had about 750 players. We rented out the Atlantis Skateway rink,” she said.
She earned a degree in marketing and communications from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2000. She worked at PBAU in the admissions department until 2003. For the last five years, she has been working remotely with a marketing and real estate firm.
She enjoys her eclectic shop location. The New Church of The Nazarene is to the south. Amigos Grocery and McMow Art Glass are across Dixie Highway. Tropical Detail Carwash is to the north. Private homes and apartments are to the east.
Savelas hopes to keep the spirit created at the Nov. 12 grand opening alive. A guitarist strummed music. Friends and family came by. People were buying and discussing art.
“I want the Cozy Cottage to be a happy, colorful place where people hold community events, have classes and make friends,” she said.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Small Business: Cozy Cottage artisan gallery opens in Lake Worth Beach
