SUGARMAN opened its doors on Monday to let Margaret River finally discover what kind of shop it is, after weeks of newspaper-covered windows.
"We've been pretty secretive," co-owner Patrick Matan said.
He and friend Sam Oliver run Sugarman, a combined art gallery, gentleman's store and takeaway coffee place.
It also offers antique-inspired furniture.
"We're basically an art gallery," Mr Matan said, explaining it would feature one artist at a time.
Mr Olver said: "We want to keep it local and a fast turnover.
"And not necessarily young people anyone who is passionate about art."
First up is local photographer Jean-Paul Horr , a regular contributor to Elements Margaret River online.
Having just returned from California where he started printing photos on wood, Horr 's exhibition is fresh and interesting. Images such as a woman's legs and Wu-Tang leader RZA blend with the natural colour of the wood, but still boast surprisingly sharp lines thanks to super-fast drying ink.
While most digital camera shots are simply posted all over the internet, Mr Oliver said the new medium "brings it back to real photography".
"Printed on a piece of wood, it becomes a real art piece."
Once you've admired the art on the walls, there's the rest of Sugarman to take in, and people will find a lot of personality in its design and contents.
For example, the owners' self-built clothes racks offer select brands including AS Colour and Herschels, there's hot chocolate crafted by Melbourne's cacao artisans Mork, and rustic-looking wooden boxes make up the counter, filled with interesting objects including a meat grinder and a world globe.
"We wanted to open up a lifestyle store, fill it with the things that are important to us and attract like-minded people," Mr Oliver said.
Another big focus is supporting locals with reasonably-priced coffee and a local's $2.50 coffee reward system.
"We've worked in hospitality all our lives and we know it's a fair price," Mr Oliver said.
This extensive hospitality background has granted the duo with the knowledge to help other businesses thrive and they will also use Sugarman as an office base for their Oliver Matan workshops to "revolutionise the way venues operate", offering free performance reviews.
For information on the workshops email workshops@oliver matan.co.
To see more of Jean-Paul Horr 's work, visit elementsmargaretriver.com.au.
If you are an artist and interested in displaying your work, approach the Sugarman store.
