Levora

John Edwards and Chris Park had few illusions about Misty Mountain Furniture's 100-year-old building.

Eclectic? Yes. Charming? Yes.

Funky? Yes, in ways that sometimes scared off customers.

The building wasn't even a single structure, but a warren of add- ons that had housed a mercantile, granary and train depot over the years. The wiring was antique and the roof leaked. Even the cupola was beginning to lean.

"It was starting to fall down around us," said Edwards, who owns Misty Mountain Furniture with Park.

But the location was prime. The structure is located at Sandpoint's main crossroads, the junction of U.S. Highway 95 and Highway 2. And Edwards and Park felt an undeniable affection for it.

"You can't create the character of an old building with a new one," Edwards said. "We thought it was a valuable resource. It's part of Sandpoint's history. Once the old buildings are gone, you can't replace them."

"John and I are both carpenters and builders," said Park. "We saw it as an opportunity."

With the help of Sandpoint architect Bruce Millard, they've transformed the building into 12,000 square feet of retail space. The Cedar Street Station celebrated a grand opening this summer. The renovated structure houses Misty Mountain Furniture, Luminesce Interior Lighting & Design, Sandpoint Interiors, Everyday Internet Cafe, Satcom Systems Inc., and Stove Corral.

Old mixes with new in Misty Mountain's showroom, where recycled Douglas fir floorboards became new rafters and doors, and visitors can watch workers making furniture through glass windows. At Luminesce, contemporary lighting is displayed against a backdrop of weathered siding.

"You almost have to live in Sandpoint to understand the excitement this is generating," said Andrea Levora, owner of Luminesce. "For a time, there were all these empty buildings downtown. This is definitely a breath of new life. They managed to do it and maintain the integrity of the original structure."

Major road construction on Highway 95 actually prompted the $350,000 renovation. Through the highway widening, Edwards and Park lost the parking in front of the store.

A new boardwalk could connect the store entrance to a side parking lot, the partners figured. But the boardwalk seemed premature without a more extensive remodeling.

At the same time, the 11-year-old furniture business was at a critical juncture. To grow Misty Mountain, the partners realized they needed a retail showroom to display its handcrafted wooden furniture. By adding space for other retail tenants, Edwards and Park figured they could generate financing for the remodeling.

"We had an overall vision," Edwards said. But there were still surprises along the way. Like the time Edwards was underneath the floorboards and realized that a 40-foot section of the floor wasn't supported by a foundation. The oldest part of the building rested on cedar stumps that had rotted away.

The remodeling uncovered five different kinds of siding and a dicey electrical system.

"Our electrician said it was amazing that the whole building hadn't burned down years before," Edwards said.

A new foundation and roof were part of the remodeling. Misty Mountain's employees did a lot of the work themselves. And one weekend, Edwards and Park threw a work party.

"A lot of our friends are builders," Edwards said. "We had 30 people here in May, hanging drywall, putting in insulation and working on the roof."

Levora signed up as a tenant as soon as she saw the renovation beginning. Her former location on McGhee Road was a bit obscure for a retail outlet. She was also attracted to the networking possibilities.

"There's quite a bit of synergy that goes on," Edwards said. Sandpoint Interiors does some of the upholstery work for Misty Mountain's furniture, and both stores refer customers to Luminesce.

People who stop in the coffee shop often wander down the Cedar Street Station's boardwalk to look at the other shops.

"It's a magnetic building. I like that people are drawn to it," Park said. "So many people have memories of the place as an old feed store. They come in, look around and tell stories."

Copyright 2002 Cowles Publishing Company
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