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“Live the life you’ve imagined.”
This is the advice written on the wall at Broadway Fireplace and Decor in Grove City. It also seems to be the way owners Jeremy and Danielle Johnson are living their lives.
The couple has combined Jeremy’s twenty years of experience with fireplaces and her love for making things beautiful to build their retail business near downtown Grove City. The store literally is a one-stop-shop for home décor, fireplace and chimney needs. Jeremy explained they are able to guide customers through the process every step of the way, beginning with helping customers determine their needs all the way through planning, installation and even through decorating the mantle and the room around it.
A trained chemical engineer, Jeremy has enjoyed a diverse career, doing everything from retail to MRDD casework. But it was in Nashville where the London, Ohio native moved to find a fresh start that he found his calling as a chimney sweep about twenty years ago. “Every day is a different home. Every day I meet different people and I get to do something different every single day,” Jeremy said.
The road to this retail location was a long one and to really understand it, you have to go back to high school. Jeremy and Danielle were high school sweethearts. He says he was in love with her then. She says he was her best friend. Over time, they went their separate ways. While his career took him different places, she got married and was stay-at-home-mom to three children before divorcing.
Several years passed before they reconnected on Myspace and rekindled their friendship which grew into romance. They have been married for five years.
In 2016, the two decided to branch out his chimney sweeping business to the retail space they have today. “She had always wanted to do home décor and me with my fireplaces and stoves – it just made sense,” Jeremy said.
Danielle said they located the building, which was once the city’s popular Kentucky Fried Chicken, and set to work on an extensive renovation project to make the storefront suit their needs. They opened in 2017 and have been growing ever since.
The store is beautiful and welcoming, featuring a variety of home décor items with various textures, colors and scents, all arranged to compliment the fireplaces on display. “We want you to get a feel for what it’s like to live with a fireplace so we want you to come in and sit down. You’re able to see how you might decorate the mantle or arrange chairs around the fireplace so you can imagine what it would be like in your own home,” Danielle said.
She likes décor pieces that are unique and different than those found in most stores. “I like to hunt flea markets and barn sales and antique malls to find just the right piece,” she said. “You don’t want to have the same things that everyone else has,” she said describing her style to include everything from industrial and barn look to boho chic.
Inventory includes pillows, blankets, seasonal décor, vintage and antique items as well as a number of interesting candles from brands like Firefly Creek, Marcus Alan and the Columbus based Small Batch Candle Company. Handmade candles in great containers that were created by her daughter and niece are very popular too. In addition, she and her daughter collaborate on handmade custom wood trays that are perfect for centerpieces.
They also have on display a number of fireplaces and stoves– wood, propane and gas log burning styles as well as outdoor fire pits and gas grills. Plus, they have the expertise to back up any product you purchase. Product brands include Regency, Majestic, R.H. Peterson and Monessen. Customers are especially impressed with Music City Fire Tables which use Bluetooth to stream music and then coordinate the fire to react to the energy of the music.
“The first step is we’ll come out and look at what you have already. I don’t want to sell you something until I know what you have. When we come out, we can recommend the size and type of product you need for your home,” Jeremy said.
They also do all of the installation and can even lay brick or stone around the fireplace if that is what the customer wants. Then Danielle can step in and help make the room flow around it. “That’s the difference between us and the other stores. We don’t just sell you a product, we make that product a part of your home,” he said.
He has a number of horror stories of customers who attempted to DIY a stove or fireplace project, only to call in a professional when it wasn’t as easy as home and garden television shows made it seem. “When it comes to something like this, it’s best not to rely on Google for advice. Find a professional to help you. Find someone who knows what they’re doing and that you can trust to do it right the first time,” he said.
They also provide services including chimney sweeping, even for products they did not sell or install.
Broadway Fireplace and Décor is located at 3827 Broadway in Grove City. Call them at 614.277.8340. Click here to visit their website or here to follow them on Facebook.
Be sure to stop by for their Christmas Open House on Saturday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They will have music, door prizes and shopping for unique vintage, Christmas and handmade décor. Enjoy refreshments, including a complimentary glass of wine by the fire! Plus, Legacy Smokehouse Food Truck will be available at the open house from noon to 4 p.m.
See below for a slideshow of more pictures from Broadway Fireplace and Decor!
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