Pictured: Jill Martini aims to offer an intimate and unique event experience with her new venue, The Cottage Conservatory. Credit: Jen Godshall Photography

Jill Martini, combining her passions for interior design and the event industry, has just launched her newest business, The Cottage Conservatory—an intimate, boutique-style venue for private events and community gatherings.

Martini attended Ringling College of Art and Design, which brought her to the Sarasota area, and studied interior design and photography. After working with several interior design firms, she decided to branch out and put her skills toward opening her own business six years ago. She started her first company, The Wandering Whale, in a converted horse trailer—using her love for design to create a fleet of mobile bars.

As The Wandering Whale grew, so did Martini’s love for the event industry. “All while I was working with The Wandering Whale and growing that business, I was putting money aside to save for what I knew I wanted to be the next chapter,” says Martini. Finally, in August 2024, she was able to purchase a 1948 cottage in Downtown Sarasota, which would eventually become the new event space.

“It was a really neglected cottage, but I thought it had good bones. We've been working on fixing it up slowly, just updating it little by little. And currently, we feel like we're at a stopping point for now,” says Martini. Although she plans to continue working on smaller projects, she says the cottage is ready to begin hosting events after the broad upgrades they’ve already done.

Martini has designed the cottage with a garden look and describes the space as having a natural and organic feel. Her favorite part of the venue is a pergola she had built off the side of the cottage, which serves as the primary gathering space. “We have vines growing up the pergola and above-ground planters with flowers and herbs. It definitely has this quaint, farmhouse feeling to it amongst the downtown setting,” she says.

In the future, Martini plans to build a conservatory to complement the cottage—the property is situated on two lots, one of which is currently vacant. With this lot, she plans to create a space adjacent to the cottage that has the look and feel of a greenhouse but functions as an additional event space.

Martini says that in her experience with The Wandering Whale, she’s noticed that smaller event spaces are difficult to find in the area—she hopes that her venue, which holds up to 30 people, will fill that need. “I really hope it serves a niche for people who want an intimate experience that's special and unique, and that's within a reasonable price point,” she says. “It's local, it's easily accessible, and it gives people that really quaint, charming experience.”

The Cottage Conservatory, 701 N. Lime Avenue, Sarasota, FL, 941-650-9950, thecottageconservatory.com

Pictured: Jill Martini aims to offer an intimate and unique event experience with her new venue, The Cottage Conservatory. Credit: Jen Godshall Photography