Since 2021, Ceramworks Studio has been thriving and building on the support of the local community. A place that just started with painting and building her own career meant something more to Meran Rogers. She had always dreamed of owning a shop of her own. Growing up and influenced by her parents, who also ran local businesses in Lakewood, Rogers was inspired to start her own venture. With her entrepreneurial background, she aimed to create something that would be a positive addition to the community.
Without an artistic background of her own, Rogers used her imagination and her entrepreneurial background to come up with something that brings a unique place to Lakewood. As a self-described workaholic, she conducted extensive brainstorming before opening Ceramworks.
Rogers said, “I just kind of did some research and put a business plan together, got some financing together, [ and ] looked for a space.” She found the current location and dedicated her time and effort to transforming it into a place that would serve the community.
Between the ages of 7 and 10, Meran Rogers was inspired to start her own shop after seeing the kind of work her parents did. That was why when she grew up, she made one of her own. This studio is really special to her as she wanted to honor her late mother, who passed away in 2016. The shop holds a lot of memories for her, starting with the logo. “She loved fancy goldfish… I just remember her loving them, and now I love them,” Rogers said.
Rogers also showed the memories of her mother, the plants in her store, and the music that is always playing in the studio. Rogers wanted her studio to stand out from most other studios and added her own twist and style to the name and logo. “Ceramics is kind of in ‘ceram’ … but I knew I wanted it to be different. I also knew I wanted the logo to be unique,” Rogers said.
The environment of the studio stands out from most, welcoming visitors with open arms. Meran Rogers and her team guide guests step by step upon entering, making them feel more comfortable. Melanie Shafer, a studio manager at Ceramworks, provides insight into how the studio operates. Shafer said, “I grab all their supplies for them, kind of let them know how it works around here… what the pricing is like.” Whether it’s your first visit or you’re returning, the team provides a lot of comfort and aims to create a space everyone wants to spend time in. High school student Olivia Baker said it’s “a very nice and welcoming place to be … [very] inviting, making sure we didn’t need anything.”
If you ever need to step out of the house and do something fun with friends, CeramWork Studio offers plenty of indoor seating and even a party room. Meran Rogers said, “So people can bring food and drinks. We don’t have any sorts of restrictions.” Unlike other places that have limited options, Meran wants her customers to be able to do what they enjoy with a smile on their faces. “People are always commenting, ‘Wow, that’s so nice.’ Why have all those restrictions?” said Rogers. Offering things that you wouldn’t see in other places highlights the uniqueness of the place.
Offering many options for painting in the studio, Baker said, “Me and my friends were getting matching mugs.” It’s a place you can enjoy with your friends and build many memories together. They offer a variety of fun ceramics that you can paint and also showcase artwork from other people who have been there.
With Lakewood offering many other places to spend time with family and friends, you may never find a place like CeramWorks Studio that lets you be free in your own little world. Shafer stated, “Like within the community, it’s really helped people to reach out and kind of take that creativity they think they didn’t think that they had.” Allowing you to be free with your creativity creates a judgment-free zone in the studio, and it’s clear how much the community has enjoyed the place as well as the opportunity to bring in family and friends. Shafer shared, “The wonderful people in this community, reaching out to other people, saying that they had a really fun time here.”
CeramWorks Studio built its business on a community that cares about its small shops and the support they get from others, leaving a mark of many memories.
