Dozens of people wandered through West Berkeley Saturday sampling the neighborhood’s high concentration of home improvement stores.
The occasion was the kick-off event for the the West Berkeley Design Loop, a new collaboration intended to encourage shoppers to buy locally from independent stores.
West Berkeley has the highest concentration of independent home improvement retailers in the Bay Area. The 27 stores participating in Saturday’s “Get in the Loop!” event included Ashby Lumber, Belmont Hardware, Ohmega Salvage, the Gardener, Metro Lighting, Flooring Alternatives, The Sink Factory, Stained Glass Garden, True Modern, Ethnic Arts, Mignonne Decor, Earthsake, Keetsa Mattress, and bookstore Builders Booksource, and more. They are located in a loop taking in San Pablo Avenue, Ashby Avenue, 7th St., Hearst Street, Eastshore Highway, and Gilman St.
Those who wandered the loop could learn how to make stained glass, learn how to reglaze windows or hang windows; find a used piano; choose cork floors, learn how to antique objects with chalk paint; and select the right fabrics for reupholstering furniture.
Barbara Van den Borre, of Ohmega Salvage, said Saturday’s event boosted store traffic in an otherwise bland week.
Visit the West Berkeley Design Loop’s website; read or print the West Berkeley Design Loop brochure.
Related:
Berkeley stores partner in Design Loop to boost business [07.16.13]
Every week Berkeleyside publishes Shop Talk a round-up of local Berkeley business news: openings, closings, new directions, relaunches, relocations. Read Shop Talk columns here. Check out also our weekly Bites column which provides food news for the whole East Bay.
