Hazel Wells was, as her family describes, a hostess through and through.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, she hosted all kinds of celebratory events — from birthdays and holiday gatherings to baby showers and dinner parties. Along the way, she documented each one in a lengthy journal.

“She just served as an inspiration of the lost art of entertaining and hospitality,” said her granddaughter Kelly Wells. “She kept a journal of all her entertaining where she would note what she made, when she served, what she wore — just to make each event special and to celebrate occasions.”

It was that passion for entertaining that inspired her grandson Brian Wells and his wife, Ana, to spread that passion in their own way. Thus, they opened urbAna — an Arizona boutique offering home decor and all things celebration.

Now this summer, the Wells family will expand their brand to Johnson County with a new Prairie Village shop. Kelly Wells — sister to Brian and business development director for the store — said the family hopes to open the store in June.

urbAna will operate at The Shops of Prairie Village

• The boutique will operate at 19 On The Mall, on the south side of the shopping center.
• Just off West 71st Street and Mission Road, the boutique will neighbor Caffetteria Modern Cafe and Hollywood Feed.
• Furniture store Golden & Pine occupied that space for nearly a decade, before it closed last fall.
• Once it opens, urbAna will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Kelly Wells said.

The shop will sell “sophisticated” home goods

urbAna carries all things hospitality — from home decor to gifts.

That ranges from larger pieces of decor like mirrors and tables to smaller ones like candles and bookends.

The store also carries a vast range of “serving” items like bowls, mugs and serving trays. And for the younger crowd, urbAna also offers children’s gift items like toys, games and puzzles.

The boutique will also offer gift boxes and registries for special occasions like weddings.

“They have something for everyone — it’s the perfect one-stop shop,” Kelly Wells said. “You won’t walk out empty-handed.”

The boutique has local ties

Brian and Ana Wells opened the first urbAna boutique 10 years ago, in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona. Two more locations later followed in Scottsdale and Gilbert.

But while the boutique got its official start in Arizona, it makes sense that it would originally return to Johnson County. Before she lived in Portland, Oregon, Hazel Wells spent her “heyday” in Leawood — owning a home off 96th Street and Lee Boulevard.

She spent lots of time in Prairie Village, Kelly said. Her sons (Kelly’s father and uncle) attended Shawnee Mission East High and often hung out at the Shops of Prairie Village.

“In a way, this is kind of like Grandma Hazel coming home to the Prairie Village area,” she said. “The stars aligned, and it’s all finally happening.”

Kelly Wells also lives in Prairie Village — as does the store’s manager, Liz Salko, who recently moved back from Phoenix.

So there’s always been a “synergy” between the two cities in which the Wells family are spread out, Kelly said — and it makes the new Johnson County boutique a bit of a full circle moment for them.

“We’re just excited about Prairie Village — it’s got such a great small hometown community feel,” she said. “We’re excited to come celebrate, and we’re excited to help everybody else celebrate.”

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