After announcing the imminent closure of home décor emporium Hard Goods' storefront on Central Avenue, owner and concrete artisan Brandon Gore shared that, instead of shuttering, the shop will relocate to an outpost inside Midcentury furniture store Modern Manor.
Gore says he was approached by the Melrose District mainstay shortly after he announced he would close Hard Goods, and the process of moving the former location's stock to the new space will begin this week. By his estimate, the new location will be open in about two weeks.
See also: Phoenix Shop Hard Goods to Close Personal Space: The Durkins' Modern Manor
Gore signed on to a short-term lease to occupy the room that formerly housed metal lettering. It's been cleared out and will house a display case and shelving for Hard Goods' items.
The same finds from the old spot will appear at the new one, including vintage furniture (which will be displayed throughout Modern Manor), brands Shwood, Bison Made, and Salty and Sweet, and local art from Jon Arvizu and others. But shoppers will find some new additions, too, like Mother of Gideon jewelry and Bend seating.
Gore says that because Hard Goods is more or less a side project (his main gig is running Gore Design Co.) he's working to flesh it out to increase its potential for success. His current in-the-works project for the line is a collection of planters in varying sizes that fit together in a scalable hub-and-spoke system. Buyers would be able to connect multiple units or use them as single pieces. That product is expected to launch in the next few months.
His interest in mid-century stye is what drew him to Modern Manor. That's not to mention he's hopeful that the high-end retail environment will be beneficial to the store. Much like his work with Hard Goods, this project is kind of an experiment -- one that Gore's hoping has good results.
That love of vintage also inspired the wood sign he made for the new shop. Gore was going for a kitschy 1950s, US Forest Service look, and selected paint and fonts to align with government regulation from back then. The sign will hang inside Modern Manor, drawing shoppers into the Hard Goods nook.
Gore says he'd never thought to do a shop-within-a-shop. But the concept has him thinking about the possibility of doing the same thing in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Austin. Whether that expansion's in the future or not, Hard Goods is going places.