After closing its doors for the past four months due to extensive water damage over the 2008 Christmas holiday, Takara Home and Garden opened its doors and welcomed excited patrons at its grand re-opening April 18 at NorthWest Crossing.
A family owned business that has been a popular shopping destination since October of 2006 as one of the first businesses to establish itself in NorthWest Crossing, Takara is widely known for its unique decorative pieces for home and garden, gifts for loved ones and exclusive artwork and jewelry.
“After receiving the news that water from the second story office above our store had seriously impacted our inventory in December of last year, we found out just what kind of a neighborhood this was,” recalls Pamela Smith, who owns Takara with her husband Steven and daughter Tina Ficher.
“We will never forget the outpouring of compassion. Now, it’s time to start anew and bring back what our customers have come to know as a warm and inviting store. We’re very excited.”
Visitors to Takara immediately take note of the store’s “mascot,” a cool, candy apple red Milano scooter that the Smiths regularly use to commute to work, saving on gas and enhancing the environment while having fun.
New merchandise includes exquisite pieces from the Franz porcelain collection, unmatched in its superb quality and creative flair, which could best be described as “whimsical.” Store manager Tina Ficher says, “Each line in this collection is created by individual designers all over the world, based upon where they are located. Pieces come to us from China, Thailand, Japan and Bali.”
Ficher points out a new offering of beautiful silk pillows and embroidered silk table linens which she describes as “affordable elegance.” “Here at Takara, we are sensitive to the changing seasons, so we encourage our customers to look forward to our merchandise constantly changing as they do,” she says. “We’ve also brought back everyone’s favorite things, which include all candle lines, local art and exquisite jewelry, in addition to new items for the garden.”
Of special importance to the Smiths and Ficher is the opportunity for the store to continue to be a foundation for their support of many community non-profit organizations, including the KIDS Center, MountainStar and the Sara Fisher Breast Cancer Foundation. The store will be open for Art Walk on the first Friday of each month, beginning in June.
“In Japanese, Takara means treasure,” says Pamela Smith. “We invite everyone to look for new products, exciting events and more of the community spirit we’ve all come to expect from our treasured Takara family.”
Information: 541/385-1144 and www.takaratreasures.com Takara Home & Garden, 2754 NW Crossing Drive, Suite 101, Bend, Oregon 97701
