Excerpted from “From Bench to Build-Out,” the lead feature in the upcoming March 2026 edition of INSTORE.
Green Lake Jewelry Works, Seattle, WA
JIM TUTTLE isn’t content to oversee construction from a distance. The Green Lake Jewelry Works owner designs stores in CAD, builds his own showcases, and climbs ladders to hang light fixtures and decor. His two most recent stores — in Bellevue, WA, and a new Seattle location that opened in October — bear the unmistakable mark of his imagination and craftsmanship.
When Tuttle opened his Bellevue store in 2016, he couldn’t find showcases that matched what he had in mind. So, he built them himself. The massive undertaking delayed the store’s opening by a month, but for Tuttle, it was the only way to get exactly what he wanted.
His involvement didn’t stop at the showcases. Tuttle designed the entire Bellevue store, hung all the lights, and personally placed the wood decorations. “I like being on site and figuring it out as I go a little bit,” he explains.
Tuttle designed the space in Matrix, sent it to an architect for permit drawings, and then dove into the physical work — helping the electrician, installing light fixtures, and doing woodworking with his team.
In October 2025, Tuttle opened a new 12,000-square-foot Seattle store in a lifestyle center, just down the street from the old Seattle studio. True to form, he was there every single day of construction from March through October. He designed the space in Matrix, sent it to an architect for permit drawings, and then dove into the physical work — helping the electrician, installing light fixtures, and doing woodworking with his team.
For this location, Tuttle built custom sit-down cases with his friend, the late jeweler and inventor Jeff High, in High’s garage shop in Lafayette, LA. Using fir, walnut, and bloodwood, they created a two-case set with built-in monitors, giving designers computer screens at their workstations. Each station features two drawers and granite center sections.
One of the Seattle store’s most striking features is its floor mural, a signature feature in all incarnations of Green Lake. About 40 team members worked on it, with Tuttle and his artists projecting CAD renderings onto the floor to trace meaningful motifs: koi fish, dragons, orcas, mountains, and other designs that appear in their archives of clients’ custom designed rings.
GREEN LAKE JEWELRY PHOTO GALLERY (7 IMAGES)
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