Two long-time Huntington businesses find new homes in the heart of downtown.
By Molly McClennen
HQ 93 | SPRING 2016
Window of Opportunity When Kirk Dodrill opened T.K. Dodrill Jewelers in 1984, he had an image of his dream jewelry store in mind. At that time his store was on Ninth Street, in a building vacated when another jeweler moved to the mall. Dodrill had to shelve many of the ideas for his dream store so he could work with the location he had, but for 30 years he continued to think of what that ideal jewelry store would be like. When a prime location at 51 Pullman Square became available, he saw it as the opportunity to make that dream a reality.
“I have always been interested in, and admired, this location at Pullman Square,” he says. “I think it is the best corner in downtown Huntington with all the windows and the foot traffic from the events that happen at Pullman. It’s nice to have other retail businesses as neighbors and to have people walking by and coming in. I figured the traffic would double after the move, and it has actually tripled. What better advertising than being in a location where people walk by every day? We used to advertise at the movies, and now people walk out of the movies and see us right here.”
Dodrill hired one of the top jewelry store designers in the country to plan the store’s layout and used local contractors to do all the work. He says he got 99 percent of what he wanted in the store, including a sitting area with a fireplace and television, LED lighting that enhances the ample natural light from the windows, 15 display cabinets designed by his wife Lisa and dedicated space for the services the store offers, like jewelry appraisal, cleaning, repair and gift wrapping. The store’s four window displays allow him to better showcase his merchandise to passersby.
“We have always been kind of a high-end store, but we have a lot of affordable lines. Nobody knew that unless they came in. Here they can see it because we can display them in the windows,” Dodrill says.
Customers have responded positively to the store’s new location. Dodrill says they especially appreciate the easy access to parking and the beauty of the store. Even out-of-town customers staying at the hotels near Pullman Square have expressed their admiration, both for the store and for the surrounding shopping, dining and entertainment district.
“Huntington has made wonderful progress in 10 years. I look out my store windows and it’s like I’m in a new city. I am happy to be part of the core of businesses at Pullman Square and the surrounding area. I hope everyone supports Huntington’s downtown by shopping local. When we support local businesses, we are supporting each other and supporting the community,” Dodrill says.
Keeping Up with the Joneses Mary Moffat Jones Interiors has been offering retail design services to the Tri-State since 1997. Mary Moffat Jones and her daughter and showroom manager, Kate Jones, say they are happy their store’s new location at 313 Ninth Street allows them to be part of the resurgent downtown business district.
The Joneses invested a lot of time and money into remodeling their new building, which housed Belle’s women’s clothing store in years past. The sunlit showroom that once displayed dresses and bridal gowns has been adapted to showcase Mary Moffat Jones Interiors’ wide selection of home interior treasures. The display windows draw in pedestrians who pass by on their way to Pullman Square or Paula Vega Cakes.
“We love the windows because we can put things in them. They hold a lot of furniture and accessories for us to showcase. They really are rooms within themselves,” Mary Moffat Jones says.
The store displays a selection of 120 lines of furniture, upholstery and home furnishings from some of the world’s best manufacturers.
“One thing that makes us different from our competitors is how varied our selection is. In our showroom, you will not see five pieces from the same company. You see a sampling from many lines and many styles,” Kate Jones says.
Having such a varied selection allows Mary Moffat Jones Interiors to create a look for clients that is, literally, unique. The two women take pride in ensuring that two clients in the same city do not end up with the same piece in their homes.
Mary Moffat Jones Interiors charges no consulting fee for design services. The Joneses assist with every step of the design process, from helping their clients define exactly what their tastes are to making sure their clients’ homes are left in good order after furniture is delivered.
“We have helped educate many of our clients about what they really do like. Many of them are not sure what they want or don’t know how to explain what they want. But our clients develop excellent taste in furniture. Some have even become connoisseurs,” Mary Moffat Jones says.
Kate Jones says once people see how reasonable their prices are, they understand what a good investment high-quality furniture is.
“Our prices are amazing for the quality we sell. We offer the finest lines of furniture in the world at the absolute most competitive prices you could find. We have a lot of repeat customers, people who have stayed with us for almost 20 years, because they see what they are getting for the money,” she says. “If people in big cities knew about our store and our prices, they would be snatching our things up.”
