smart | entrepreneurs


In Plan View reminds us to slow down and enjoy a mindful meal


The line of handmade table linens helps us stay present and enjoy the romance of a set table


Chelsea Maier in her studio, building a "confetti" runner.


By Brenlee Coates C


helsea Maier is calling for a revolution. And she wants it to be personal: right from your home – or from your table, to be exact.


“We’re kind of at that point (with technology) – do we


always want things to be like this or are we kind of nostal- gic?” she observes. Considering she’s been scurrying to fill orders since she


launched her line of handmade table linens In Plan View in October, it’s safe to say there’s a demand for the ways of the past.


Inspiration While studying environmental design at the University


of Manitoba, Chelsea says she fell into a routine of quick consumption. “When I was super, super busy, I thought I was only eat-


ing for energy. “We should be eating for nourishment… but also for


self-love. “We have to know how to eat mindfully and how to just


have conversation.” Tough she admits she doesn’t stop everything she’s do-


ing to sit down for a meal three times a day, she finds even selecting one of her hand-painted napkins and placing it next to her coffee in the morning brings with it “a pause – even if it’s just for the tiniest sliver of a day. “It does help you take a breath before you scarf it back,”


she muses. While on a trip to Italy last summer, she was reminded


of what indulging in a proper, sit-down meal is all about. In a centuries-old farmhouse, a multi-course meal hark-


ened back to the days of a well-dressed table, a beautiful meal, and good people indulging in conversation. “It’s kind of like that ‘you never know what you’ve got ‘til


it’s gone,’” she explains. “For every meal we had there were linens of some sort. I


also just heard a lot of people comment how nice that was and how that added that extra little bit.” Te idea was sparked, but Chelsea had already commit-


ted to a big launch for her current project, a line of flowy summer fashions for men and women. While her clientele is grasping at the colourful printed


tanks and accessories, Summerskin Clothing is briefly on the backburner while In Plan View takes precedence. Many mediums


Not unlikely to be found with unknown paint on her


elbow, hands or face, Chelsea dabbles in several artistic mediums, including photography, poetry, and most re- cently, abstract painting. She works at the Artful Owl instructing art classes and “getting messy on the ground” all day. A former teacher of


In Plan View's handmade napkins can spice up a tablescape.


hers, Stephanie Middagh, owns the art studio, and lets her house her expansive art supply collection and keep a studio space there, where she builds her In Plan View masterpieces at full-scale first, and then cuts them down to size. Sadly, after a five-year love affair, Winnipeg will be losing


Chelsea to the West Coast in February, when she returns to her home province. It’s not because she’s missing anything from her experi-


ence in Winnipeg, however – other than family, and maybe being next to the ocean and mountains. “Sometimes I’ll fight with locals about how awesome it


is here,” laughs Chelsea. After planning to stay in Winnipeg for just a year, Chelsea


was overcome by the lustre of the Peg. “I always say there’s a little bit more of a spark of magic


in Winnipeg. “I like how things here persist and there’s always some-


thing happening, and it’s accessible to a lot of people,” she says, citing Rainbow Trout Music Festival’s recent bike jam during Nuit Blanche, Raw:Almond and Table for 1200 as examples. “I love how people work with the constraints of the city


to make things beautiful, whether it’s music, the warming huts, or Parlour Coffee.” With one of her whimsical copper, block-printed textiles


promptly displayed in Little Sister Coffee Maker in Osborne Village, it’s safe to say Chelsea is part of that movement. Tough she’s excited for the promise of opportunities


that Vancouver may bring, she hopes she and partner Brett Anderson will return to the prairies some day. “I have a feeling I’ll be back one day. We’re totally des-


tined for a house in Wolseley or a condo on Waterfront or something,” she says. Her many friends in Winnipeg will be here, with spec-


tacularly well-dressed tables, ready to welcome her back. Visit inplanview.com for more information or to view Chelsea’s online shop.


@inplanview's Instagram is full of enticing images of her linens.


Chelsea works on linens at full-scale then cuts and sews them into individual pieces like this blue-striped tablerunner.


10 Smart Biz


www.smartbizwpg.com


November 2014


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20