After two years of difficulty, including losing all her work in a destructive fire, a St. Davids businesswoman is ready for a new start.

Jeska Eedens, the owner of Taurus Terrazzo Homewares, has opened her own store and studio space in the community.

Eedens, a flight attendant once who coached women’s varsity lacrosse at the University of Toronto, started her business in 2021.

She creates and sells handmade sustainable goods, including coasters, trays, vases, plant pots and more.

She began making these creations during the COVID-19 pandemic after she stopped coaching lacrosse and needed a new way to express her creativity.

“That was my creative outlet: I would draw up rosters, make up drills and find uniforms. That had been my career. During the pandemic, obviously that all shut down,” she said. 

Eedens said she started experimenting with eco resin in her garage and eventually began selling her creations so that she could continue to make more.

Thus, Taurus Terrazzo was born.

“I had spent three months making inventory for stores I was going to go to and drop things off to,” she said.

Eedens was looking to expand into a new studio space when most of her creations, plus some cash and other valuables, were lost in a major fire at the Hernder Estate Winery in March 2022.

“My mom had a plant she got on their wedding day that was on fire,” she said.

None of her losses were covered by insurance.

“I never really considered closing down, though. I was just like, ‘OK what’s next? Maybe I can use this for a rebrand. What can I do?’ ” 

Early last summer, she found a potential space for a storefront on 1397 York Rd., next to Junction Coffee Bar.

“It was empty, no walls, nothing,” said Eedens. “I could do whatever I want because it’s a fresh, new build.”

Inspired by the success of one of her market booths, she aimed to recreate the vision on a larger scale.

“People were walking in my 10-by-10-foot space and saying, ‘I love this,’ ‘This is my aesthetic,’ ‘Do you have a store? I feel like I’m walking into a boutique.’ So, I wondered if I could do it on a slightly larger scale,” she said.

The grand opening of Taurus Terrazzo Homewares was this past Saturday.

Aside from selling her handmade goods, as well as other curated items, Eedens will run regular creative workshops in the studio space.

“They’re going to kind of be a regular fixture and we can also do private events if people want to bring their friends and do it,” she said.