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Once a train repair facility, 2260 Dabney Road has been used as storage in recent years. (Mike Platania photo)
After spending close to a decade near Scott's Addition, a local antiques dealer is headed for a new home just over the Henrico line following a nearly $1 million deal.
Mid Century Morris is preparing to relocate from its current store at 1731 Kelly Road near The Diamond to a former industrial building at 2260 Dabney Road in the Westwood area.
Owner Janet Morris and husband Scot last month bought the Dabney property for $850,000, according to county records. Built in 1940, the brick building was once a train car service facility as well as an electrical warehouse.
Morris said she's planning to renovate the 8,200-square-foot space to be a showroom for her business, which is currently spread across three buildings on Kelly Road.
Janet Morris
Morris said she started the business about eight years ago after a trip the couple had taken to Europe sparked an interest in mid-century modern-style furniture, which she began collecting for herself. She ultimately decided to leave her career as an X-ray technician to pursue it.
"It just grew out of a passion, a hobby, of collecting mid-century furniture for my home. And then I just became passionate, I started learning about it and just loving it all," Morris said. "And of course, it was having a moment in the antique world. So It never seems to go away. ... Some antiques come and go, but this has been a strong market for us."
She said much of Mid Century Morris's business comes from online sales, and that she sources her inventory from auctions and estate sales. Since Mid Century Morris is spread across multiple buildings, she's had the showroom open by appointment only.
With the new Dabney Road spot, Morris said she'll be able to have her entire collection of over 4,000 pieces under one roof and be open normal hours.
"I think it's an opportunity for Richmond to see my product. It's exciting, my next phase," she said. "I've put together quite a collection. ... In 2021, I got a container from Italy, and I've been slowly pulling things and it's been fun to see what's coming out of there. I've been introducing some Italian antiques as well as the American stuff."
She added she's also planning to host pop-ups for other businesses at the space.
The Morrises closed on the a Dabney Road deal on July 16 and were represented by Porter Realty Co.'s Wilson Flohr. The county most recently assessed the property at $501,000.
Mid Century Morris' collection includes eclectic items like signs from the Topaz Motel in Wildwood, New Jersey.
Morris said they're currently planning a renovation of the Dabney building, which she said needs new windows, a roof, a coat of paint and a deep cleaning.
"We're going to try to leave the building intact the way it is and not change it too much," she said, noting that some old railroad tracks are still on its ground floor.
Mid Century Morris is aiming to open in November or December. Morris said they haven't decided what they'll do with the business's buildings at 1731-1735 Kelly Road, which they also own.
Henrico County's so-called Westwood area has started to see new development in recent years, including apartment projects. Spy Rock Real Estate Group recently completed The Alder, a 245-unit apartment building at 2001 Dabney Road, and hundreds more apartments are in the works for the area. The neighborhood has also seen other new commercial users arrive, like electric vehicle maker Rivian, which in recent years opened a service center at 2289 Dabney Road.
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