Going UPTOWN in Downtown Duluth

Taking a deep breath to persevere and enter its third year of business, the fyi Duluth design studio cooperative has spent the past three months renovating. The talented design team at the downtown Duluth business is optimistic about a new beginning.   

The 150-year-old retail space, formerly Parson's Hardware at 3097 Main St., now offers state-of-the-art products and services for the home and garden. A decision was made by the fyi design team to step up instead of step out of their location. In other words, renovate or vacate. With the impending arrival of Pure Taqueria and the other new Main Street merchants, foot traffic is expected to increase and the demographics to shift toward attracting young professionals.  

Going from a very traditional decorator showroom to a transitional design studio offering trend-setting products and services, fyi Duluth design studio offers an UPTOWN shopping experience in Historic Downtown Duluth.

The design studio occupies space that at one point was targeted to be demolished along with all the other buildings on the old city hall block. The block is home to several other businesses that participate in a stewardship program to improve/maintain space in exchange for less than market value rents.  

Along with fyi Duluth design studio, Sassy Girl Design, Church Ladies, Interiors by Designe, Natures Elegance, Wallace Reid Portraiture, Duluth Art Gallery, Accessorize Again, New Dawn Theater, Boudreaux's Cajun Seafood, and the film/tv production company PDP (Penny Dreadful Productions) all have invested in city property and demonstrated the buildings are viable for business.  

The fyi Duluth design studio will celebrate a new beginning Tuesday, July 5, and invites you to stop by to see the incredible showroom transformation.

The fyi design team includes SkillTouch Construction, Wired-for-Living, Paul Fooks Electrical, Delaney Interiors, Laurel E Interiors, The Knobster, John G. Moncrief & Associates, Art by Cinzia, Penshaw Hill, Jay Scott Studios, Victoria Jackson, Chattahoochee Cabinets, Creative Custom Cabinets, Floor Coverings International, The Rug Lady, Traditions in Tile, Premier Surfaces, Danlar Lighting, ATG Bars, Bloomin Pots, National Landcare, Peaceful Nooks & Crannies, and the Wine Accessories Mart.  

"We closed the door on the past two years and are re-opening Tuesday, July 5, with optimisim for a fresh start in a hopeful economy," said D.J. Cross, home theater and automation expert of Wired-for-Living.

Hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday 11a.m.-5 p.m. and by appointment.