The Galaxie Jewelers, Houston, TX
OWNERS: Dee and son Kip Stodghill; ADDRESS: 2511 Sunset Boulevard Houston Texas 77005; PHONE: 713-521-2511; FAX: 713-521-3700
DEE AND SON KIP STODGHILL’s premises is so homey, customers often think they can’t be in a jewelry store! In terms of their wares, innovation is the keyword, so it’s no surprise to learn that their store, a converted residence in the leafy Village area of Houston, is a chrome-free haven where tradition meets with the unusual.
How long have you been at this address, and how did you find out about it?
It was in the mid ’80s after operating for 12 years in a European style village mall that we began looking for a new location. In Houston, Texas, near Rice University there is a unique shopping area called “The Village”. One day while driving around the area my Father noticed a vacancy. It was a 2 bedroom brick bungalow built in the 1930’s that showed promise for conversion. So with the family’s input we purchased the property and set about converting it into our new home.
Please describe the interior of the store.
Wanting to create a warm comfortable atmosphere, we decorated the interior with a collection of antique curved glass showcases and tables, Victorian style fretwork and wrought iron highlights on the front door and windows. This gives the feeling of walking into an old Victorian parlor that has jewelry showcases. The workshop is visible from the showroom through three windows with fretwork. My father and I worked on the floor plan and oversaw all the remodeling, which was physically done by a good friend and customer. My father and I worked together on refinishing the cases and furniture, which is one of his hobbies.
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Were there any specific requirements when it came to converting the building into a jewelry store?
From tearing the walls out to the brick veneer and replacing all the electrical lines since there were still some clothe covered wires we basically reworked the entire interior. One wall that runs the length of the store had to be moved over 10 feet, which was a chore since it is a load-bearing wall.
How much did it cost to adapt the building? Was it worth it?
Well…. my father and I joke about stopping counting when we hit 75K but it ended around 90K. Yes, indeed, it was worth it because of the final product.
How do people usually react to the store?
It’s nice to watch first time customers walking into the store and then stop inside, looking around saying, “I think I’m in the right place. This is the jewelry store isn’t it?” Most all of our customers enjoy the warm feeling they get with all the woodwork and the friendly faces that greet them when they enter the store.
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How does the design of the store fit in with the jewelry you sell?
Out motto, “We Create the Unusual” describes the store, atmosphere, the designs we create and the jewelry that we help design with our customers.
Any ghosts??!
None that we have seen or heard from even with the original owner dying in the kitchen, which is now the workbench area of the shop.
PHOTO GALLERY (3 Images)
