5 artisan Tacoma furniture makers to open Dome District showroom

A Dome District building that was originally constructed more than 75 years ago and served as the headquarters for Durobilt Furniture and Upholstery for five decades will soon be home to a collective of artisans manufacturing locally crafted, sustainably sourced, custom made furniture and furnishings.

The 2,500-square-foot REVIVE showroom, located at 323-A Puyallup Ave., is a collaboration between Spaceworks Tacoma and Dome District boosters Jori Adkins and Rick Semple, who purchased the property from the City of Tacoma three years ago. The City purchased the building near Puyallup Avenue and East D Street in 2005 to prepare for the D Street Overpass project. When the project was completed three years later, the building sat vacant for a while. When the City looked to sell the property, Adkins and Semple stepped forward with interest (see “Tacoma City Council approves Dome District property sale,” Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 5, 2011; and “Tacoma City Council committee OKs Dome District property sale,” Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 29, 2011; and “City poised to sell Dome District property,” Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 22, 2011). Over the past decade or so, the couple has purchased and carefully renovated several circa-1920s buildings along the 300 block of Puyallup Avenue, including a former gas station. Today, the buildings are home to a variety of businesses, such as an art gallery, fitness center, and garden store.

“We love old buildings,” Adkins told the Tacoma Daily Index after purchasing the former Durobilt building (see “Dome District Revival: With former Durobilt building, pair continues historic preservation streak on Puyallup Avenue,” Tacoma Daily Index, Aug. 22, 2012). “We finally got it from the City at a good price and are willing to put a lot of our time into it, to give the building back some pride and help make that corner of the Dome District be colorful and active since it is on a very visible corner. We never know what a building will be once we are done, but we have great tenants who all love our buildings and the sense of community that they are creating.”

The five local businesses coming together to create the REVIVE showroom include Alchemy Concrete, birdloft, rePly Furniture, Spring Fever Upholstery, and Wane + Flitch. A grand opening celebration will be held on Thurs., Dec. 18, between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. RSVP online by contacting Spaceworks Tacoma Manager Heather Joy at heatherj@tacomachamber.org.

Spaceworks Tacoma is a joint initiative of the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber that aims to activate empty storefronts and vacant spaces in Tacoma.