There's a mystical allure to Pike Place Market with its narrow alleys, slick cobblestone and winding labyrinth of stalls.
It has the quiet hum of hidden magic like a secret townhouse squished between walls or the tap of a brick — three up and two across — to reveal a bustling shopping arcade and a world of witches and wizards. Harry Potter's Diagon Alley may not be real, but there's a new magic-inspired boutique at Pike Place Market filled to the brim with bewitching vintage treasures and frocks. Accio credit cards! Led Chandelier
Follow the narrow corridor off Post Alley, and you'll stumble upon The Alabaster Owl tucked under stairs, waiting for you much like a room of requirement. The 300-square-foot shop quietly opened in December, and it's every Wizarding World fan's dream. It's a mini market of magical wares and decor, from pewter mugs to bejeweled diadems. Each floor-to-ceiling shelf is carefully curated with antique shields, tartan tapestries and other Old World trinkets that would suggest you're shopping for a castle. The ceiling is crammed with ornate chandeliers. There are several vignettes curiously arranged in four colors: red, green, yellow and blue.
But don't call it Harry Potter-themed.
"I'd like to start the movement of 'Wizard Lifestyle,'" says Sarah Taylor, owner of The Alabaster Owl. "I was watching 'Harry Potter' and realized I already owned several of the pieces of art, dishes and background props in the scenes. It made me wonder if other people might be interested in living amidst beautiful 'castle-worthy' items that were the real thing and not mass produced."
Taylor isn't interested in plastic Butterbeer cups or licensed T-shirts. Her "sneaky wizard" style is a more personal and more "grown-up wizard" with cocktail ingredients in potion jars and silver goblets as barware.
"In creating the concept of an adult wizard lifestyle, I focused on the fantasy, sensory experience and acceptance of all beings," she said. "The Alabaster Owl is devoted to creating the community of magic, love and acceptance we first experienced when reading the books and seeing the movies."
It's a concept Taylor says wouldn't work anywhere else but Pike Place Market.
"Between the history of the market, architectural details and winding walkways combined with curious tourists and locals looking for the ultimate charming experience, I knew that my space would be magical in a way I couldn't build new."
Even the shop's name was kismet.
"The Alabaster Owl is an actual item I purchased from a vintage store," said Taylor. "I'd wrapped it in a fur jacket to keep it safe. When I handed it to the cashier and asked him to be careful with The Alabaster Owl inside, he got excited. He said, 'The Alabaster Owl? What's an Alabaster Owl? I don't even know what an Alabaster Owl is, and I want one!' He said it three times, and everyone knows that's how you conjure something. I told him I'd been struggling to come up with a name for my store and he just named it. From there, everything fell into place."
Taylor is currently flipping the store from "summer-tourist mode" with travel-size trinkets and packable wares to "local-friendly" items for fall, from witchy serving platters for holiday entertaining to renter-friendly soft-wired chandeliers for a taste of castlecore at home. There's magic in the details, and the curation is her favorite part.
"As much as I love selling things, it's the inspiration, appreciation and 'hug currency' that I truly love," she said. "The comments I hear in the hallway, the shock when people walk in from a busy market to a quiet castle under the stairs feed my soul and inspire me."
Learn more about The Alabaster Owl here.
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