Sedona Kitchen Boutique Wins Global Award, Elevates Experiential Shopping

Ever since The Artist’s Kitchen Shop in Tlaquepaque won a global award, a lot of excitement has been whipped up for owner Kathy Louderback.

The Artist’s Kitchen Shop has been honored with the Excellence in Retailing Award for the United States in the International Housewares Association 2024-25 Global Innovation Awards. “This prestigious award honors the best homeware retailers worldwide,” said Louderback. “This has been so exciting for us.”

Walking into the shop is like entering an artist’s well-appointed kitchen: artfully designed table settings, high-end kitchen knives, Lifetime Candles and Polish Pottery to hold kitchen staples beautifully.

Moving to Sedona in 2018 from the Victorian town of Cape May, New Jersey, Louderback was a former tourist who vacationed in the Red Rock Country for 20 years. “We fell in love with the area and my husband and I promised each other that when our youngest graduates college we would move here.”

Not new to the retail business, Louderback owned a meat market in Cape May for 30 years. “We made sausages, hot dogs, kielbasa (which won silver and gold medals at the German Meat Processors Competition, which is like the Olympics of sausage making) and all kinds of lunch meat,” she said. “We sold the business to our manager and whenever we go back, we stop in and stock up on sausages and our favorite, which is our pork roll.”

Louderback purchased The Artist’s Kitchen Shop from another owner. She decided to keep the name but took a different approach. “I made it my own style and finally got the store to where I really like it, with proper balance. I’m always on the hunt for more specialty items. What you see is what you get, and it has to be the best or it can’t be here.”

“I’m no longer buying more, I’m buying better because of Kathy’s store,” said Alice Bronstein of Alise Bronstein Marketing, LLC. “There is truly no other store like The Artist’s Kitchen Shop. The items are rare, hand-selected treasures from around the world. It’s not just a place to shop, it’s a place to refine your kitchen, elevate your gift giving and invest in pieces that last. What makes the shop truly special is Kathy. She is always there, personally guiding selections and educating customers on how to use each item.”

“My goal is to bring my customers great and beautiful products with an artistic flair,” said Louderback. 

 She says her knife selection attracts people from all over the state. “We have a large selection of knives and my protocol is to take our customers through the pros and cons of each brand; it’s ‘experiential shopping,’ something you just can’t do online. You need to hold the knife to see how it fits, much like trying on shoes.”

 “As a fitness coach, I always say health doesn’t start in the gym, it starts in the kitchen,” said Fitness Coach Brysen French. “The Artist’s Kitchen Shop in Sedona has become a staple in our home. The cookware we’ve purchased is built to last for generations – not trendy, not disposable, but true quality.  When you love your tools, you cook more, and when you cook more, you are healthier.”

With a staff of four, Louderback says she’s very proud of her knowledgeable and friendly staff and loves her customers. “One-to-one interaction is where I’m in my element. It is what I love best. People come in and tell me what they’re looking for and we work together to figure out what’s best for them. It’s a lot like matchmaking. One person might like a certain style of garlic press and another person might choose something completely different.”

If I Had a Million Dollars to Give Away

“I would give it to the  Navajo Water Project. It is a program of the nonprofit DigDeep. It is an Indigenous-led initiative that installs off-grid water systems and delivers water to Navajo families. Can you fathom that in today’s age there are people who do not have running water in their homes?” 

Daily Ritual

“I play puzzles every morning with my cup of coffee.”

Where I Reset

“Out on the back deck with my hubby and cocktails.”

The Last Time I Thanked my Younger Self

“I thank my younger self almost daily for having listened to my father’s advice – and there is lots of it. He was a very savvy businessperson. The best advice he gave me was, ‘The secret to success is to work just half a day. The first 12 hours or the last!’”

If I Were a Car

“I would be a red Mercedes SL500 convertible. It’s well built, fast and slick.” VVBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN

The Artist’s Kitchen Shop is located on the north side of Tlaquepaque, 313 SR179, Suite C-11 in Sedona. For more information, call 928-862-4140.

Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Louderback showcases Lifetime Candles, a popular brand, in her shop.