Office Hours co-founders Heidi Blair, at left, and Patricia Rudd. Courtesy image.
The utterance came upon seeing the store’s gorgeous, eye-popping inventory, which takes a few minutes to grasp. As Rudd put it: “Office Hours specializes in vintage, antique mid-century modern and industrial office and home furnishings, including desks, chairs, office accessories and accoutrements, leather goods – everything you might need for your office or home office.
What made Office Hours unique, and a welcome addition to the downtown Mill Valley landscape for many residents and visitors, is how different the office furniture and accessories are from the staid, homogenous home and professional office spaces everywhere we look.
But sadly for the owners and their longtime customers, too many of those “whoa’s” didn’t translate into sales, Blair says, and the shop is closing at the end of March, with a closing sale of up to 40% off between now and then. Once the store closes, Blair will move the remaining inventory to Chelsea Antiques in Petaluma, where she has stall #59 open seven days a week.
“It is with great regret that we are saying goodbye,” Blair says, noting that Rudd relocated in 2016 back to Louisville, Kentucky, where she was born and raised, to be closer to her family. “We are really grateful to all of our customers and we’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, conversing with you and, lately, crying with you.”
Office Hours opened in late 2015 at 18 East Blithedale Ave., Suite 12 – the space formerly occupied by BJ Moore Gallery and Wee Threads before that.
The 411: Office Hours is at 18 East Blithedale Ave., Suite 12.