Business partners Jack Mathis and Andy Blieden (right and left above) fit comfortably into the roles of purveyors and pied pipers of unique retail. The two own Work the Metal, a shop situated in the Butchertown Market (1201 Story Ave.), a historical building that has been home to everything from a soap factory to a paint company. Work the Metal is a kaleidoscope of exotic housewares reflecting both partners’ distinctive styles. "We look for the unusual, things you wouldn’t be able to buy anywhere else in the city," says Mathis. The shop has a modern feel, but Mathis thinks of it as "urban suburban," carrying home accents that can bl/files/storyimages/with traditional furnishings. In a separate space on the same floor, under the umbrella of Work the Metal, is a maze of imported antiques and reproduction pieces — China cabinets from China, statues from India, chairs and tables from Germany and Hungary, and stone columns from Egypt.
Blieden, who owns the building, says the tone set by the two spaces will be enhanced when four new retailers move in during the month of December. The new shops will feature pottery from Vietnam, sculpture from Zimbabwe, Persian rugs and Japanese kimonos.
Work the Metal’s hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; during the holidays it will also open on Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
