Local boutique Thread Lounge is closing up shop at 724 Valencia St. (at 18th Street). The clothing and home furnishing store celebrated its departure with a goodbye party on Friday, but the shop will remain open through Saturday, June 29, with a closing sale that includes up to 50% discounts.
Following the closure, shop owner Colleen Schmidt and her dog Leelighla, a large Rhodesian Ridgeback, are moving to Ubud, Bali. There, Schmidt plans to open a yoga retreat and wellness center.
When asked why she is shuttering her retail shop, which moved from Union Street to the Mission in 2013, Schmidt told Hoodline that "all the heart and soul in San Francisco is gone." She added that she loves her customers and values all the relationships she has built in the city over the years.
Schmidt hopes that some of those loyal customers will visit her in her new Bali home. Schmidt visited the Indonesian island earlier this year, and said that when she walked out of a Kundalini yoga and breathwork session, she knew that this is the place where she wanted to live.
Schmidt plans to take some time off before she starts building her new business in Bali. In the meantime, she has acquired a scooter with a sidecar, so Leelighla can ride along with her. (If you want to keep up with Schmidt and her canine companion's adventures, you can follow them on Instagram here.)
There's no word yet on what might be replacing the business at 724 Valencia St., but the prime location probably won't be vacant for long. Knife shop Bernal Cutlery has announced that it will be moving into the space vacated by the recent closure of Paxton Gate’s Curiosities for Kids, located just down the block at 766 Valencia St.
Tomorrow evening, an acupuncture and sound journey event that— according to the event organizers — "may just take your spirit all the way to Bali" will also take place at Thread Lounge. Tickets are available online for $45.
