Soleil Studio opening soon in The Vineyards
Looking to provide a one-stop hot yoga, wellness and shopping experience, Claire Knudsen is opening Soleil Studio in The Vineyards outside Lewes.
If the final inspections go well, the opening should be next week, said Knudsen, during an interview March 18.
“It’s been a long road and it’s exciting,” said Knudsen. “The community has been so supportive, and I’m looking forward to bringing something new to the area.”
Originally from Baltimore, Knudsen had intended on opening a studio in the Charm City, but continued delays and issues with landlords forced her to change plans on the fly. With those plans up in the air, she landed in the Lewes area and decided this was the place to open her vision.
The experience in Baltimore tainted the process, but there was good energy in Lewes, she said.
Located in what used to be the Social Security Administration office, Soleil Studio doesn’t look or feel anything like the previous setup. There’s retail space to the right, a smoothie bar to the left, yoga studios, and shower space and locker rooms in the back.
Walls were knocked down and the 5,500-square-foot space was completely remodeled, said Knudsen.
There are two yoga studios – a small one for warm classes and a large one for hot. Both feature infrared heaters in the ceiling to get participants sweating. Knudsen offers four different classes – Sculpt, Sweat, Sculpt+ and Stretch. They all feature the use of heat at some level.
There are 21 heaters, which can bring the temperature up to 105 degrees, said Knudsen, standing in the big studio. The infrared heat is much better for a person’s skin and a much better experience for the body, she said.
Soleil Studio will also feature a smoothie bar with a half-dozen drinks and add-ons for customers to maximize their workout. Knudsen said a lot of people want to eat healthy after a hard workout, but not every place offers that.
“People want to work out and take care of themselves. I want to provide them the space to do that,” said Knudsen.
Soleil Studio will have a large selection of workout and athleisure apparel for sale. Brands include Lululemon, Aimé Leon Dore, Beyond Yoga and Wilmington-based Paiya.
The idea is to have a large enough selection that people can shop for apparel even when they’re not in class, said Knudsen.
Soleil Studio will offer classes in morning, afternoon, evening and on weekends. The plan is to bring on five to six instructors, but Knudsen said she’ll be doing a lot of the teaching at first. It will be busy, but it’s her favorite thing to do, she said.
For more information on Soleil Studio, 12001 Old Vine Blvd., Suite 101, go to sweatsoleil.com or email info@sweatsoleil.com.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. Additionally, Flood moonlights as the company’s circulation manager, which primarily means fixing boxes that are jammed with coins during daylight hours, but sometimes means delivering papers in the middle of the night. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
