Alluvial can provide furniture brands that weren’t available in Grand Junction previously

Tim Harty, The Business Times

Jenna Smith and Morgan Woodward started eyeing the commercial space at 421 Colorado Ave. this spring when they heard it might become available.

It looked perfect for what they wanted to do. Smith could move her existing business, Jenna Smith Design Studio, into one of the building’s two front units, because her growing business needed the extra space. And the other front unit? That would be perfect for a small furniture store that would operate in tandem with the design studio, and Woodward would be the primary owner.

The dream became reality soon after, as the day in May those units were listed on Facebook Marketplace, Smith and Woodward immediately contacted the landlord, Casey Dittmer, who operates Casey.-Portrait Artist in the rear of the building. And they landed the lease.

Jenna Smith Design Studio moved into its unit right away, while the furniture store needed several months to get set up. The wait ended Sept. 12, when furniture store Alluvial opened its doors to the public with a grand opening.

“Our initial, organic business plan really melded together,” Woodward said. “We had talked for some time, but we knew exactly where we aligned on what this would look like. And so, here we are.”

Alluvial isn’t your typical furniture store. Forget thoughts of the sprawling warehouse-style furniture stores with hundreds of chairs, couches, beds, tables, etc., on display.

Alluvial is different by design, because it’s about design.

The space is small, and the amount of furniture that can be displayed is minimal, so Smith said they have to be smart about what they stock. Hence, there’s a living-room set, a bedroom set, a dining set, chairs, bookshelves and other home décor that can be purchased, but more over they represent the building blocks for designing rooms in a home. In that case, it’s not just about a piece of furniture on the sales floor.

Alluvial, Woodward said, is a furniture store where “you can come in and say, ‘Hey, I want a new couch, and I don’t know where to put my art. Can you help?’ And those are services I’ll provide, and it’s really amazing how many people just want that extra little stuff. You know, what we call styling or curating.”

Woodward as the primary owner of Alluvial – Smith has a smaller ownership stake – will be the primary operator. That also makes her chief consultant, working with customers to identify their needs and budget, then offer options. Chances are the furniture will need to be ordered, and Alluvial will be able to provide items that weren’t available in Grand Junction previously.

“We knew for several years that there was a need and want for more furniture brands and options in Grand Junction,” Woodward said. “I mean, there’s several places here, but having custom-order furniture packages … people seem very interested in that. Going into a warehouse is nice, but just having another option on some kind of higher-end custom pieces is really nice, just to have that option.”

Art is another important element, and Woodward said Alluvial has about 10 artists lined up to provide items for home décor. Among them is local woodworker John Howard, who built the beautiful piece that serves as the store’s checkout counter.

One way Alluvial will entice customers to come back is by having a rotating showroom. Different looks and styles will be brought in. Frequency of rotation remains to be determined and will depend on a variety of factors, but Woodward said seasonal changes make sense.

“We’ll be just kind of evolving,” she said.

Woodward and Smith also are open to suggestions, and Woodward said they’ll ask, “What more do you want to buy or see? What would you like to come in and buy more of?”

But be realistic about what you request. Woodward said there’s a trend for some nice homes that get showcased in a parade-of-homes-style event to have furnishings from big-box stores. There will be items that “everyone has it, and it’s either from Target or TJ Maxx …”

When people see that, she hopes they’ll think instead, “Hey, I’m hoping I can go to Alluvial and find something really cool.” 

Store name appropriate for two-river town

Alluvial primary owner Morgan Woodward explained how she and co-owner Jenna Smith came up with the store name by providing a geography lesson that made a lot of sense.

“We wanted to land on something that tied into the valley, but we didn’t want to repeat the word valley, so to speak,” she said. “So, do you know what alluvial is? An alluvial is a geological event that happens when river bends just continue to kind of bend and move. It creates a fan of sediment and rock and all of those things, and that’s typically where you see gold and those type of minerals and things.”

And how would that apply to a furniture store?

“It’s for treasure-type things found,” she said. “We kind of wanted to steer it into, like, we’re representing the Grand Valley, but also you’re finding unique pieces that you hope to keep for good – treasure.”

Working within your budget

While Alluvial aims to provide higher-end furniture to customers who want that, Woodward and Smith emphasize their store is for everyone.

When seeking options for a customer, Woodward said, “It will truly be based on the individual’s budget. I want to make sure I conform to what people can afford. … I’m not just tapping into that kind of higher-end level. I’ll have pieces that the everyday person can walk in and purchase as well.”

Smith added, “If people come in, they go, ‘This is my budget,’ we can find something in your budget. … I’m not gonna show you the $30,000 couch when your budget’s 2,000, right? So, we work with everyone’s budget to make sure that they just get some good quality furniture.”

And customers will find a lot of the home décor and art on display tables and shelves throughout the store is accessible.

“So, people can come off the street and buy something,” Smith said. “You know, it’s a hard thing. Furniture is not an impulse decision. Maybe for some people, maybe they find a chair that they really like, but for the most part, people that walk in are gonna buy the little things. They’re not gonna be walking out with the bed.”

You can trust their delivery guy

Woodward said when people order furniture through Alluvial, sometimes it takes up to two weeks for it to arrive. And when it requires delivery, she coordinates that, and she said, “I have a local moving crew that’s really awesome.

She’s referring to JOG Moving, owned by Jomas Gibson.

Woodward said Gibson’s company is small, and he keeps it small on purpose.

“He’s very, I would say, probably the best kind of white-glove moving service,” she said, adding Gibson is very personable and makes sure things don’t get bumped around, and his level of service is hard to find in the Grand Valley. “He’s got great reviews online too. People really support him.”

Deserves praise, and not because she’s a relative

Woodward said Smith’s sister, Katelyn Pierce, is an artist who has been extremely supportive of Alluvial. For example, she designed the store’s logo. And some of her work, such as quilts and quilted pillows, can be found around the store.

“I want to highlight her,” Woodward said. “She takes local, like, flowers, and she excretes the dye from the plants and then dyes it on her quilting. It’s a really amazing process.”

Pierce’s business is Seed Stitchery Co., and she’s been in business less than a year, to which Smith said, “She just does this as a hobby, honestly, and just got really good at it.”

Entrepreneurial spirit surfaces

Jenna Smith and Morgan Woodward worked together at Fixture Studio in Grand Junction, and there they started formulating ideas about one day operating their own businesses, even operating them side by side as they’re doing now at 421 Colorado Ave.

Smith was the first to make the move, founding Jenna Smith Design Studio in December 2024. As she says on her website, www.jennasmithdesign.com, her business is a boutique, full-service, interior-design studio “specializing in custom new construction, large-scale renovations, and fully furnished homes.”

And her stated goal is to “create timeless, highly functional spaces that feel as beautiful as they are livable – homes that reflect the people who live in them for years to come.”

Grew up so fast

Smith was flying solo when she started Jenna Smith Design Studio in a space above Goat & Clover Tavern and Rebel Treasures, both at 336 Main St. in downtown Grand Junction.

That changed quickly, necessitating the hiring of two designers and a search for a larger space that she found one block over, on Colorado Avenue. Smith relocated there in May.

“I started in a little shoe box, and I loved that little shoe box,” she said. “I think about that old office a lot.”

Time to chase those dreams

Smith said it was funny when she announced she was leaving Fixture Studio after working there several years.

“Everyone was like, ‘Did something happen?’ Nothing happened. I just had goals of my own,” she said. “It was my first job out of college. It’s like that wasn’t going to be endgame for me, and I always wanted to start a business by the time I was 30. Started it when I was 29. So, it just was a lot of dreams and things were happening, and it was good.”