James+James signs lease in downtown Springdale

Springdale furniture company James+James is planning a significant expansion early next year.

Company owner James Smith said the business will open a new location inside the former Watson Furniture building at 111 S. Main St. in downtown Springdale.

Springdale real estate executive Philip Taldo bought the two-story, 11,000-square-foot building in 2014.

James+James has signed a five-year lease to occupy the first floor, roughly 6,800 square feet. Smith said the space is being designed to include a large retail space and an operational wood shop. The areas will be separated by large glass windows so customers can watch the furniture-making process.

“We want our customers to be able to see some of our solid wood items being built by hand and smell the sawdust,” Smith said.

Smith said a website (thewatsonexperience.com) has been set up to give progress updates about the new space. A tentative move-in date is early 2020.

Founded in 2011 out of a garage, James+James sells its handmade products to customers throughout the country. They’re manufactured inside the company’s 7,800-square-foot warehouse/headquarters on West Randall Wobbe Lane in Springdale. That facility will remain the company’s primary production facility. James+James also has a 2,800-square-foot retail store at 4217 S. Thompson St. in Springdale. It opened in August 2014.

Smith said James+James, which is primarily a web-based business, has about 20 employees. Carpenters build a variety of tables and dining room pieces, bedroom furniture, end tables, benches and bookshelves.

He said about two-thirds of orders come from customers throughout the country. Sales figures should be up about 15% this year, compared with 2018.