509 Design LLC has expanded in both size and scope with a move to the heart of Spokane’s Garland District and the creation of Chaise & Home, a furniture and décor shop.

“It’s allowed us to bring our home furnishings that we’ve offered to past clients to everybody,” says Wendy Nolan, co-owner of 509 Design and Chaise & Home. “I brought in a lot of décor, and my goal is to bring in things that you can’t get anywhere else in Spokane.”

Chaise & Home held its grand opening last weekend at 815 W. Garland—also the new location of 509 Design’s commercial and residential interior design studio—a few months after the new retail shop had its soft opening.

The 2,300-square-foot space is a considerable upgrade from 509 Design’s former office in the Steam Plant Square complex, at 159 S. Lincoln, in downtown Spokane, Nolan says.

“We were there for almost 10 years, and we were running sometimes up to six employees out of that space,” she says. “It was really tight for everybody to have a workstation and have storage room.”

Nolan hadn’t planned originally to offer a retail selection through 509 Design, but the constant flow of foot traffic and abundance of other shops in the Garland neighborhood steered her in that direction.

“I think this location dictates that,” she says. “If the retail end does well, we’ll maybe find a different location for our studio.”

Chaise & Home offers high-end furniture and home décor products, with a selection of “affordable items sprinkled in,” Nolan says.

Nolan sources the store’s furniture, which is all made in the U.S., from a few large-scale companies. She purchases the store’s smaller décor and gift-like items from a variety of vendors that offer items that can't be found at a HomeGoods store or other national décor outlets, she says.

“You really have to search the store and see what speaks to you, and then determine if it’s the right fit for your budget,” Nolan says.

Chaise & Home also will offer Christmas-themed products and gifts during the late fall and winter, which Nolan says are traditionally slower months for the design industry.

Nolan, who has been an interior designer since 1996, says her own style and taste is expressed throughout the new shop.

“We’re not afraid of color,” she says. “If you want a beige sofa, you can go to someone else for that. That is not us. We can get it for you, but my preference is to infuse a little personality into space.”

She adds, however, that much of her design work is aimed at accommodating each client’s style preferences—a strategy that has proven successful for her company.

“I try to implement the client’s style, and I’ve gotten really great feedback on that,” Nolan says. “A lot of designers say that, but if you look at their portfolio, they have one or two styles.”

Nolan founded 509 Design in 2015 with her husband, Alan, who runs the company's general contracting division.

The company offers interior design-build services for both commercial and residential clients.

“Probably 60% is more residential, and then the rest is more light commercial,” Nolan says.

So far this year, 509 Design has served about 75 clients, a fairly typical amount over the years.

“We have a great established clientele in Spokane,” she says.

The new studio space gives clients the opportunity to come in and select everything from finishes and cabinetry to furnishings and décor, Nolan says.

“Usually what will happen is a client will hire us for their interiors, and just because they hire us doesn't mean that they have to continue on with our general contracting division,” Nolan explains. “I've worked with lots of different contractors throughout the area, and so I can work with their contractor, or they can use our contractor.”

Nolan, a National Council for Interior Design Qualification-certified interior designer, studied interior and commercial design at Spokane Falls Community College in the 1990s, and then worked for various architecture firms. She then began working more on the residential side of the industry, and later opened 509 Design.

In 2020, 509 Design bought the former Madison Elementary School, on Spokane’s North Side, with plans to transform it into a new showroom and design studio.

After a series of renovation-related challenges, the Nolans decided to change their plans and search for a commercial storefront they could move the business into. That search concluded with the new space on Garland.

Including the Nolans, the company's contracting division, and Chaise & Home, 509 Design has seven employees.

Chaise & Home is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Small Bites

*Worley, Idaho-based Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort Hotel announced last month enhancements to its food court, including the revamping of the Little Dragon Asian eatery and the addition of Arrowhead Pizza, which is scheduled to open later this year.

*The Historic Davenport Hotel, in downtown Spokane, opened its new Lobby Bar and The Emporium, a retail shop and coffee bar, this month. The bar, as its name suggests, is located in the main lobby, and The Emporium is located across the entryway from the Peacock Room Lounge, on the north side of the hotel.