The Kin Cabin opens its doors in Shakespeare

Located inside the Harry Ten Shilling building, The Kin Cabin is designed to feel warm and welcoming, says owner Samantha Weber. Contributed photo

By Diane Danen

A new multi-purpose creative space called The Kin Cabin has opened its doors in Shakespeare.

The studio space is located inside the iconic Harry Ten Shilling building. Owner Samantha Weber describes The Kin Cabin as a mini boutique studio designed to feel warm and welcoming.

“It’s an extension of my home and heart,” Weber said.                                                                  

Her vision was to create a place where people can gather, create and feel at home.

The space serves as a photo and branding studio offering a cozy, light-filled room with seasonal setups, perfect for content creation, personal branding, or product photography. The Kin Cabin will also host hands-on creative workshops along with small-business education sessions focused on branding, social media and creative entrepreneurship.

In January, Weber hosted a Vision Board workshop.

“We had a great turnout,” said Weber.

The event was designed as a relaxed, “come hang out” afternoon with crafting, vision boarding and the chance to meet new people. She also hosted a preloved pop-up clothing sale that was so successful another is already being planned for the spring. The space is available for others who may wish to rent it to host their own pop-up sales or events.

Additional workshops are being planned, including cake painting, wine bottle decorating and social media-based, small-business education sessions. Weber hopes to collaborate with other local businesses to bring Pinterest and Instagram-inspired creative workshops to the community.

Originally from Kitchener, Weber moved to Shakespeare in 2022. She says she quickly fell in love with the small-town atmosphere. She has been overwhelmed by the encouragement and support she has received from local businesses and the community.

Weber was embraced by community support when she launched The Seat Society, a project that brought new life to a collection of well-worn chairs.

Weber purchased the chairs for her studio after they survived a restaurant fire. What began as a do-it-yourself project proved to be a job better suited to experienced professionals. Rather than walk away, Weber came up with a creative solution. She reached out to her social community. Twenty local businesses stepped forward to sponsor the refurbishment of the chairs, turning the project into a true community effort.

Today, the refurbished chairs add character to the studio, creating a story worth sharing.

“The community project not only kept the chairs out of the landfill, but also supported another locally owned business,” said Weber.

The refinishing was done by Lucy Pearlle, a design and restoration studio in Petersburg owned by Carey McClement, who also sponsored one of the chairs. Each chair will include a plaque recognizing the business that made its restoration possible.

Weber’s professional background combines her passions for interior styling, content creation and social media. About six years ago, she began building a career that blends all three. Since then, she has worked with a number of brands, manages social media accounts for small businesses, helps redesign local business interiors and teaches others how to use social media effectively.

Through The Kin Cabin, she plans to offer both group workshops and one-on-one coaching to help local business owners feel more confident online. Sessions will cover topics such as taking quality photos with a phone, planning social media grids, editing videos, creating reels and building a strong brand presence.

Weber says many people feel intimidated by social media, and she hopes to give them practical skills and confidence to grow their businesses.

Beyond workshops and coaching, The Kin Cabin is designed as a flexible creative space. Whether someone wants to host a meeting, teach a class, hold a branding session, or organize an event, the front studio comes fully styled and ready to use. Weber simply opens the door and invites people to make it their own.

A grand opening celebration is being planned for the spring, with full details to be shared on social media at @thekincabin.