Oh what a story Urbanum has to tell. The shop has been a hub of beautifully curated items for homes and the folks that dwell in them since 2018. In that time, the shop has evolved and grown and even changed ownership, however, the motto of “Quality Goods for City Homes” has consistently stayed true.

The first five years of Urbanum were under the ownership of Brigid Beaubien, who created a space at Urbanum that instantly made people feel a sense of calm laced with an excitement of finding new treasures for themselves and their homes. I felt all that excitement and calmness when I first entered the store in March of 2023, having been given a tip that Brigid was looking to sell to concentrate on her academic career (see Brigid’s story below). The moment I walked into the shop, I knew that I would be the next steward and that Urbanum would continue to thrive, grow, and serve Detroit and the surrounding communities.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to own a shop. I heard stories, not necessarily good ones, about my grandmother owning a Sweetie Shop/News Agents in Glasgow in the 1940s. It sounded like a fairytale to me. My own mom assured me it wasn’t! She remembers the headaches or trying to make the shop a success and in particular, counting ration coupons since Scotland was still recovering post World War Two, and folks couldn’t buy candy (sweeties) with a ration coupon. She remember the hours of reconciling coupons! I knew deep down that I would one day own my own shop and that I would change the trajectory of our family entrepreneurial legacy. I know my Gran Livingstone would be so proud of me for taking the leap and becoming the second owner of Urbanum.

I am one of five girls, none of us native to MIchigan. In fact, both of my parents are natives of Glasgow, Scotland. They moved to the States shortly after they were married in 1959. All my sisters and I were born in the United States and my dad was so proud to be raising first generation Americans. I was born in New York but moved to North Carolina when I was 4. I grew up saying y’all and feeling like a proper southerner. That all changed in 1981 when I was 15 and my dad sat me down to tell me that his work was transferring him back to the UK and we would be moving to England. My parents were terrified to tell me this since I had just finished 10th grade and knew that is was likely going to be a hard time to move. To their surprise, I was jubilated about the move. I had always wanted to live in another country so I was ready to pack up and go!

My family lived in England from 1981-1988. I finished up high school in England (whole other story) and went on to attend Durham University in the Northeast of England. I truly had the most amazing time of my life in one of the most beautiful cities in the World (visit Durham if you ever get the chance!). I tell people I majored in Psychology with a minor in Tea Rooms!!

The same year I graduated from university, my dad took a job in Ann Arbor with what was then Parke Davis. Back to the States we went, well not entirely! I decided to stay in London with one of my sisters because I wasn’t feeling the pull to live in MIchigan. It would be years before I decided to make Michigan my home. I did move back to America shortly after my parents moved but I went to grad school in Vermont, followed by living in Washington DC, then onto Colorado and finally landing in Michigan with my husband in 1999 when we decided it was time to settle down and start a family, at the ripe age of 34!! Yikes!! I tell people I empty nested in my twenties, lol!

I simply love Michigan. I love the seasons. I love the people. I love the water that surrounds us. I never really knew how much I loved Detroit until the last few years. I had mostly stayed home while raising our three boys. When our second was starting his Freshman year at the College of Creative Studies (yes, Urbanum’s neighbor) I decided it was time for me to restart my career. With a background in law but with a lifelong dabbling in retail, I knew that I wanted to pursue a retail career. This led me to take a position with the Detroit Institute of Art Museum Shop. I was in retail heaven! I loved the museum and I loved helping people pick out their treasures to remember their fabulous visit to the museum. I wasn’t actively looking to leave my position with the museum, however, a friend and fellow retail devotee told me about Urbanum and the rest is history or history in the making!

Owning Urbanum is a dream come true for me. I’m living the fairy tale even though it is a fairy tale involving a lot of hard work! am so excited for Urbanum, New Center, the Woodward Corridor and the continued regrowth of Detroit. I’m honored and full of joy to be a Detroit Shopkeeper!!

Hope you can come experience the calm, excitement and joy of Urbanum!

Below is Brigid’s story. Without Brigid, there would be no Urbanum so her story is as much a part of the shop as mine and she’s got quite the story too, so please read on:

Brigid’s Story: For as long as I can remember, I have focused on my environment and how it makes people feel

As a kid, I would cherish the Ethan Allen furniture catalog and pour over the pictures for hours. I was far more worried about what Barbie’s house looked like than about her outfits or hair. Barbie’s townhouse rocked! At 13 years old I made my very first “home” purchase, an antique, pink glass lamp with a muted, pink, paper shade.  I loved it for decades.

Eclectic and Traditional with a side of Industry

My parents took my sister and me to antique shows throughout the Midwest. There, I developed my love of the eclectic. On family vacations to Williamsburg, VA I developed an appreciation of traditional and classic design. As a young adult I worked at The Henry Ford and spent hours exploring and researching historic furniture design.  My husband and I would spend weekends working on our homes or scavenging.  We enjoyed discovering treasures and hidden historic places with our daughter. We still tell the story of being attacked by bees while finding a Mission bookcase in an abandoned Farmhouse. It’s the stuff of family legend.

I worked for many years as a teacher and administrator in Detroit’s public and private schools - it’s why the “Principal’s Office” door is in the shop. In the late 90’s my parents opened The Kindred Spirit, a home store in Wyandotte, MI. I LOVED helping my Mom with the store. Some of my happiest memories are of going to merchandise shows with her, learning the ropes and planning the displays. We had so much fun and ate so many Cobb salads.

Award Winning Craft Beer - and a Design Project

In 2011 my husband and I opened 8º Plato Beer Company in Ferndale, and then a second location in Detroit in 2015. The craft-beer stores have been awarded multiple “Best of” awards in Hour, Metro Times, and WDIV.  In 2017 U.S.A. Today named 8º Plato Beer Company in Detroit the third best beer bar in the country. I designed both of these craft beer retail locations and quickly found that designing on a broader scale was so rewarding.

My desire to open an interior decor store was re-ignited

One day, as I prepared our home’s guest room for visitors, I wanted the space to be warm and cozy and couldn’t think of one business in the city-limits of Detroit that had a selection of both sheets and lamps to make this happen. I was frustrated that I would have to go outside the Detroit city-limits to find the home goods I needed. That set the wheels in motion for Urbanum.