Clayton welcomes guitar, art shop

CLAYTON — Angel and Celeste Bravo, the owners of Grit & Chime, followed their passions to launch a one-of-a-kind store.

He loves guitars. She’s an artist. So early on, they both carved out space in their garage for their passions.

“Back in Idaho in 2020, I turned half our garage into a studio,” Angel said. “And then she had the whole art studio side of things.”

After a move to North Carolina, a storefront seemed like a bigger but natural evolution from their garage, Celeste said. “I sell paintings that I’ve made, but then I also do commissioned murals and portraits,” she said. “We sell guitars and the accessories that go with it. He does some building of his own too. He is kind of a tinkerer. He helped build his pedals, cutting his own guitar pick and just reshaping bodies.”

The couple literally stumbled upon the storefront at 423 E. Main St. on their first-ever visit to downtown Clayton.

“We parked right across the street, and we weren’t looking for anything in particular,” Angel said. “We saw this building, and I was like, ‘It’s a cool building, but they’re all occupied.’ I shot an email over to Patrick Pierce, the economic development manager for the city of Clayton. … A week or two later, he said, ‘Hey, a store just opened up on Main Street.’ ”

All that was left was decorating the interior, Celeste said.  “I am the idea person and he kind of sets it all into a pathway so that it makes sense,” she said. “I’ve always liked bright color. … I just have like a maximalist sort of style.”

Grit & Chime is laid out to be a comfy space to hang out in, Angel said. “We like that colorful vibe,” he said. “I like that rich aesthetic. When you walk in there, it feels immediately kind of homey and kind of like a loungy sort of thing.”

“Other guitar shops feel corporate or they feel like a pawn shop, like there’s just things stacked on top of things in there and it’s dusty,” Angel added. “I just wanted it to be a more welcoming.”

No signs in their shop say “Ask Clerk for Assistance.”

“We want people to feel comfortable to try things out,” Angel said.

That’s why the shop has couches, Celeste added. “You got a couch so you can sit and play guitar and hang out,” she said. “There are some teenage kids that come in like once a week, and they just hang out for a bit to play the instruments.”

Grit & Chime is getting positive reviews, Celeste said. “We’ve had such a warm welcome from the community and from the other business owners,” she said. “They’ve been beyond helpful, and I feel like everybody welcomed us with open arms.”

Grit & Chime is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Visit the shop on Facebook.

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