Small Business Spotlight: KLT:works
Mount Vernon creatives Kristin and Chris Theiss have built a colorful hub for art and connection in Downtown Mount Vernon.
Story By: Sabrina Diamond
Even on a grey-skied afternoon in Downtown Mount Vernon, KLT:works seems to glow from the inside out. Soft light spills through the front door, catching the bright spines of art books and the smooth textures of hand-printed textiles. The space feels alive, joyful, eclectic, and unmistakably creative.
“Everything in here is either something one of us made, materials to make art, or inspiration to get there,” said artist and founder Kristin Loffer Theiss.
Her partner in business and in life, Chris Theiss, is a ceramicist and illustrator.
“I bring the boxes, and I build weird things like giant-headed Santa Clauses,” he jokes.
The shop is a convergence of two lifelong creative paths, a partnership built in art studios and classrooms, and a shared desire to make something small, beautiful, and deeply personal in the town they call home.
KLT:works began long before the storefront opened in October 2024. For Kristin, it started in 2005 as a textile design business. As her life shifted, so did her work: from wholesale orders and art shows to motherhood and teaching drawing and painting at Skagit Valley College. Her business became a steady presence she could bend and stretch to match each season of her life. Meanwhile, Chris carved his own creative lane, teaching ceramics and 3D design at the college, building one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces in the studio. He notes that he never felt pulled toward mass production.
“Production work is just…work. I’m more interested in the creative process. Most of what I make is one of a kind.”
After hosting a temporary shop in The Pop-Up in spring 2024, Kristin felt the spark immediately and realized what she was missing.
“I realized I really missed being around people,” Kristin said. “I missed having community.” After years of staying at home to focus on raising her son, she wanted community again.
That realization pushed her to open a storefront downtown and transform a space into a creative sanctuary. The result was pieces of her larger artistic visions: part studio, part boutique, part mini-library, part gallery, and more. Connection is woven into everything at KLT:works, from the artist whose work is displayed on the counter to the friendships rekindled through the shop.
“It’s a bold thing to be creative, a gutsy thing. And I want to support the people I’ve known who have done that for as long as I have” Kristin said.
That spirit extends to her relationships with other downtown business owners, including Leanne at Arrows Aim, Heidi at Union Block Bistro, and Darin from Small Spaces. They’ve formed a powerful network of support. Whether it’s texting on nights off or brainstorming ways to bring people downtown, these business owners have created camaraderie built on their shared ambitions as entrepreneurs.
“It takes a lot of guts to open a small business in a town that doesn’t always feel like it’s popping,” Kristin said. “Especially now. But when you find the people doing it with you, who are all in, you really admire them. You want to help them keep going.”
Though the shop is still young, its energy is unmistakably vibrant. Kristin and Chris never went into this with a strict business plan or five-year vision. They simply just had a desire to build something meaningful as creatives.
“It’s just our life,” Chris says, “something we’re passionate about, and we keep doing it because it’s fun. The fact that it supports itself is amazing.” Kristin nodded, “It feels good to be hopeful. To be connected to our town again. To feel like we’re bringing something back.”
As Kristin celebrates 20 years of her business, KLT:works marks both a continuation and a new beginning. One that she and Chris are eager to keep growing.
