APIARY opens in Baldwin Park

As children, sisters Shannon Calderon and Jenna Dail loved to play store. 

Their grandmothers, Mimi and Nana, allowed the sisters to transform their homes into that day’s dream. 

One day, the house was a grocery store, the next a news station or a restaurant. The girls even had one room converted into a school room, complete with an overhead projector, school chairs and teacher desk. 

The sisters were taught to be creative, use their imagination and, most importantly, treasure each other. 

More than 30 years later, the sisters’ bond is even stronger, and the two have opened their first brick-and-mortar business together: APIARY. 

DREAM COME TRUE

APIARY is a new home and lifestyle shop off Meeting Place in the heart of downtown Baldwin Park. 

The store offers an extensive collection of timeless and functional home decor, furnishings and novelty gifts.

The establishment’s selection seeks to inspire individuals to create spaces that exude style and comfort, transforming houses into cherished homes where meaningful relationships are cultivated.

The sisters built the collection with everyone in mind.

“We want everyone who walks into the store to feel like they can walk away with something,” Dail says. “We have pieces that are handcrafted and collectibles, but we also have pieces just for everyday use. We did that intentionally to make sure there was a wide range of prices and styles.”

The sisters say the majority of their customers come in shopping for gifts, and the items can be shipped directly from the store.

“For us, it’s really important these pieces are not only aesthetically appealing, but also serve a purpose and even multiple purposes,” Dail says. “For example, something we are really known for is having our throw blankets on the dining room table. We always say too much of a good thing is still too much, and so we want our homes to be a place where we can go to reset, relax and connect. If you have too much clutter that prevents you from being able to do that. We focus more on the quality than the quantity. We also like to really encourage our customers to use the pieces they’re investing in. I think we tend to put some pieces away and only use them for special occasions but really every day is special.”

In addition to the retail aspect, APIARY offers furniture and lighting options, as well as interior decorating services. 

Although the business held a soft opening in June, APIARY welcomed customers to a grand opening event Aug. 5.

BUSINESS BIRTH

Calderon, 37, and Dail, 35, grew up in Winter Park before going their separate ways for college. 

Calderon attended the University of Florida to study psychology with the goal of attending law school. Dail attended Florida State University to study fashion design in pursuit of a career as a magazine editor. 

Following college, Calderon moved to New York; Dail moved to Seattle.

At the end of 2012, the sisters both moved back to Central Florida to be closer to family.

Calderon was engaged at the time, and Dail was helping her to plan the wedding. One day, a lightbulb went off and the two decided to use their creativity to start their own business. 

The Busy Bee, now the company’s lifestyle brand, was born as a wedding planning boutique in 2013. 

After five years of designing and planning weddings, the sisters were questioning whether they were still passionate about the business. 

“We didn’t want to let The Busy Bee go, because it’s our story; it’s us,” Calderon says. 

Instead, Calderon and Dail began blogging in 2018. The two shared everything with their readers regarding business ownership, motherhood, weddings and more.

When the sisters became pregnant, they shared about that experience, too.

When the babies were born, only six days apart, the pair decided to take a six-month maternity leave. 

By 2019, they were ready to be creative again. 

Calderon and Dail polled their audience to see what readers wanted to learn more about. The overwhelming answer was hosting and entertaining.

“We just started blogging about hosting and entertaining,” Calderon says. “We have affiliate links (through which) we share products and services, and we earn a small commission. One day, we were like, ‘Well, we could have our own products.’ We realized we could curate our own collection of pieces we love using within our homes, and that’s when we opened up APIARY online.”

Although the online shop was successful, the two missed the connection aspect of talking in-person to people, hearing their stories and creating special moments for them.

A brick-and-mortar store always was part of the plan, and the sisters say if a space ever became available in Baldwin Park, they would pursue the opportunity. 

“We really loved the neighborhood feel and that it was close to where we grew up,” Dail says. “It’s similar to the Main Street area in Celebration, where we spent a lot of time with our family growing up and still do. We love the vibe of that area and we thought Baldwin Park brought the same unique feeling but closer to home.”

UNBREAKABLE BOND

The sisters say Mimi and Nana taught them their best practices to let go of perfection in order to cultivate family, connection and storytelling. 

Their biggest takeaway? It all begins at the table. 

“Family has always been a big part of our story,” Calderon says. “Family brought us back home. We are super close with our grandmothers, and they’re the glue to both sides of our family. They always held everyone together, and we really latched on to them growing up. Our parents split, and so they were always our constant in life. All of this is really inspired by them.”

The two always have had a close relationship as both sisters and best friends.

“It’s been like a survival thing — just always leaning on each other and making sure nothing breaks this bond,” Dail says. “Even going into the business, people always ask us how we work with each other and if it gets messy. For us, this relationship, nothing will ever break this. This comes first, and business is second.”

The two hope to leave something behind for their children and their families, just like Mimi and Nana did for them.

Calderon lives with her husband, Bobby, and their son, Maximus, 4.

Dail lives with her husband and high-school sweetheart, Nick, as well as their three children: Cohban, 13; Maddie, 10; and Charley, 4.