Tuck Studio Moving To ‘Beautiful Architectural Gem,’ Just Across The Street
SAINT JOHN – Covid-19 introduced many new challenges for small businesses in New Brunswick, but for one Saint John furniture and home decor store, it also brought the opportunity to expand, reinvent and redesign.
Tuck Studio, currently located at 122 Prince William Street, is moving directly across the road to 115 Prince William Street into two converted condos that owner Judith Mackin says will change the way people shop in her store.
The groundwork for the move was laid about three years ago when Mackin quietly bought the first commercial condo in a historic Saint John property known as the “Old Post Office Building.” Located on the ground floor across the street from her original shop, it solved the problem of needing inventory space close by.
“It was the ongoing joke in the city that it was the sexiest storage space anybody ever seen,” says Mackin. “It was funny because it had these 23-foot-high ceilings, Corinthian columns, and was just a beautiful space. I bought it through the company and just quietly sat on it and used it literally only for [storge].”
Then about a year and a half ago, Mackin started playing with the idea of turning the condo into live/work unit and started renovations. The top-level would be living space, while downstairs would be studio space.
Then Covid-19 happened, and like a lot of businesses, Tuck Studio’s plans changed.
The business pivoted online. They launched an online store and the team started filming educational videos on social to help people give their homes a refresh during the lockdown. Turns out, the condo was a great place to film content and showcase the products they carried.
Want to learn more about how Judith pivoted her business during Covid-19? Check out this episode of Huddle’s podcast ‘Home Office’ (listen here or search for ‘Huddle Home Office on your podcast platform):
“It’s almost like travelling through an apartment or literally like a New York City loft,” says Mackin. “At that point, I just thought, ‘okay, our lease where we are is up at the end of this year, we should just move the store over here’ because it’s beautiful and most of the work has been done on the top floor.”
To solve the previous problem of inventory storage, Mackin decided to purchase the other condo on the same floor of the building. By combining the two units, Tuck will have double the space and storage than it currently has now.
“Basically what we’ve done is we merged two units to make one Tuck,” says Mackin.
In the new location, Mackin says customers will be able to see their products in a domestic setting, rather than a conventional showroom.
“When you come into Tuck right now, it’s beautiful, but it’s just one big room. Whereas there, you’re going to be travelling through … You’ll actually go in and shop in a domestic space,” she says.
Get a sneak peek of the new Tuck Studio location in the gallery below:
“This sort of thinking is very big in places like New York where people will do pop-ups in their apartments or their condos down in Brooklyn. You just go in and shop the space … That’s the same thing here.”
Mackin is also excited about the public seeing inside one of the city’s most iconic historic buildings.
“You’re not only experiencing the product in a more domestic setting, but you’re also now opening up these spaces to your customer and your city to explore this beautiful architectural gem that’s been closed off to people for over a decade,” she says.
The new location is currently undergoing painting and renovations. Tuck Studio will be closed for the move starting October 13, with plans to reopen in the new location on October 20.
“It’s an expansion. It’s growth. It’s reinvention,” says Mackin. “We’re just excited for people to see it and share it.”