510 H Street, NE
Over the past few months, there have been reports on the closing of four independent furniture stores. We’re now sharing news about the upcoming closing of Hunted House on H Street NE. It’s not simply another sad ballad — it’s just as much about a store and our retail sector shifting gears. We built ATTIC partly as a response to these types of changes. We’ve also just launched ATTIC Fashion, which seeks to make shopping from DC’s independent clothing boutiques, vintage shops, and DC area designers easier too. Ultimately, we’re concerned about a future where DC has little more than the same chains you can find in other cities. We hope you enjoy our reports and think about the city you want for the future too.
Tarek Anandan
Founder, ATTIC DC
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The following is an interview with Mark Johnson, owner and shopkeeper of Hunted House, a vintage store specializing in mid century modern furniture and home decor currently located on H Street NE.
Let’s start out with the big news. You’re going to close the Hunted House store on H Street at the end of February? Why?
Well, our four-year lease is up. The landlord is going to take over the space to meet their expansion needs. The Design Army firm owns the building, and they already use the two floors above the store.
So does that mean you are looking for a new space?
Another permanent brick and mortar space just doesn’t necessarily seem like “the way to go for stores [like ours]” right now. Instead, we’re excited about the idea of doing pop-ups. There’s no obligation, no long leases and no triple-net rents. Plus, it allows us to move around a bit and try out other parts of the city.
On a personal note, I won’t mind being a little less present. I’ve enjoyed running the store for the past ten years, but it’s a lot of work and there are some other things I’d like to spend some time doing. With a brick and mortar space I spend a lot of time trying to make sure we have four to six new pieces every week. I’ve had so much fun doing it, but it takes a lot of time and energy.
A Hunted House Pop-Up? Tell Us More. Anything Soon? (more…)
