UPDATED — The strip center behind Havertys on Rock Road has inadvertently become something of a design center.
“Yeah, it’s kind of neat,” owner Steve Clark says. He considers the center at 1719 N. Rock something of “an incubator for small businesses.”
“It has evolved into a little design center there.”
Diva Furniture is at the north end of the center, and Invio Fine Furniture Consignment, which has been located within Diva, is now moving to its own 1,200-square-foot space two doors down.
“We have an option to expand over here,” Invio owner Andrea Attwater says. “I’d love to double our space.”
For now, she still has 1,000 square feet within Diva to sell some of her more high-end pieces.
The new space is open during construction. Attwater plans to have an open house Oct. 20.
“That’s my goal, to be all painted and ready.”
JK Design also is located within the Diva space.
Budget Blinds is between Diva and Invio.
Different Perspectives Photography, a photography studio, is on the other side of Invio’s new storefront.
On the other side of that, Jeff Cohlmia has opened Cohlmia Interiors in 2,400 square feet.
That’s substantially smaller than the 8,300-square-foot Home Gallery by Cohlmia he used to have near Central and Woodlawn.
“We have basically the same manufacturers, but we are showing some things that are less expensive but still in the same quality range,” Cohlmia says. “We’re happy to be open again, and we hope to see everyone.”
Attwater is happy for the unplanned design center.
“It’s kind of fun,” she says.
As Clark says, “It’s always good to have some synergistic uses in a property like that.”