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BUCHANAN — Those seeking to add to their collection of body art or to get their first tattoo have a new option in downtown Buchanan.

Bucktown Parlor, located at 207 East Front Street, has been open for a few months. Artist and owner, Faith Boal, is excited to bring her creative work and joy of working with people to the area where she grew up.

Boal set out to create an intentionally “homey” design for her shop, giving customers a cozy and welcoming environment meant to be friendly to those who may feel out of place stepping into a traditional tattoo parlor. She achieves this with lighter colors, open space, comfortable seats adorned with pillows, and comic books and other items to keep those in the waiting room occupied.

“I try to make it as comforting and not intimidating as possible,” she said.

Boal expressed that she has always wanted to be a tattoo artist. She’s been an artist all of her life, still spending much of her time drawing. She apprenticed at Ink About It Tattooing in Bridgman and spent time working at Order & Chaos Tattoo in Niles.

She long dreamed of opening her own tattoo parlor, combining that vision of a welcoming space with her passion for body art. Tattoos give her a creative outlet as an artist and allow her clients a unique way to express themselves.

She notes that most customers have a general idea of what they’d like and she finds the joy in using her style to bring those wishes to reality. She’ll help them work through multiple references, reviewing other body art, narrowing down the specific elements that speak to them. She enjoys the challenge of helping them find what they want. Working in retail allowed her to discover her skill and desire in working one on one with someone, assisting them in creating something unique to them.

She loves memorial pieces, recounting a story of a client who came in after losing their mother. The lost loved one had always liked tattoos, but never got one. The client wanted to live that memory for her. Boal recalls them tearing up during the process.

Boal describes the community of Buchanan as very welcoming to her and the parlor.

“I’ve gotten a whole lot of support from people in town,” she said. “I love the people that come in.”

She also expressed pride in not only owning her first business, but in being a young female business owner. Earlier in the month, the Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance hosted a ribbon cutting for her.

She’s thankful for the support of the community, her friends, and her family. Her parents, Doug and Kim, were hanging out in the shop and noted their pride in Faith’s work.

More information on Bucktown Parlor can be found on Facebook and Instagram at @bucktownparlor and @bucktown.parlor on TikTok.