Home Detail has added a book room in its store, 9 W. Madison Ave.
Owners Charlie and Roberta Johnson purchased Dorothy Samford’s Book Nook, a block to the west on Madison Avenue, two years ago.
They moved Bibles, other Christian-oriented books and bookmarks, and “some other neat things” to their store, Roberta Johnson said this week. “It would be a little hard to run businesses in two locations, so we decided to bring the books to our store.”
The Johnsons are remodeling the Book Nook, 115 W. Madison.
“We’ve done some work to the back and middle, but there still is quite a bit that needs done in the front,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure what we’ll do with the store when we get it all fixed up.”
The book room in Home Detail is an alcove previously used as a place for promotions and where refreshments were served during special events.
“I want to add some nice pictures and maybe put in additional shelves so we can have more books,” Johnson said. “We boxed up what Dorothy had in the Book Nook and there still are a lot of things I’d like to put out.
“I was amazed at all the neat things she had.”
Johnson is a former teacher and professes that she “just loves books.”
SAMFORD ran the Book Nook for more than 40 years before she decided to retire.
The Johnsons have been in business since 1978, when they started Johnson Construction out of their home at the west edge of Gas.
Later they opened Home Detail, which has a full line of paint, kitchen and bathroom cabinets and accessories and many other things needed for home improvements, at the old Iola Planing Mill, 404 North St. They moved downtown in 1997.
