"Think of it as retail therapy." That's how David Anderson describes China Woods, the Asian furniture emporium David and his wife, Susan Gilmore, have been running since 2002. "We wanted to create a world class store in Missoula, one that is enlivening to visit."
An Asian garden welcomes visitors to China Woods. The store, located in an old 7000 square foot granary near downtown, showcases fine antique furniture from China, and both new and old architectural and garden ornamentation from Indonesia. Every item is handmade, every item is one-of-a-kind, and every piece possesses its own chi, or life force.
The size of the new warehouse allows display of all of the items David and Susan have collected, including Chinese terra cotta cisterns, copper, stone and marble sinks, terrazzo planters from Bali, and carved stone lanterns and fountains from Java.
Susan and David make frequent trips to Asia, hand selecting all of their pieces. When buying newly made items, they deal directly with artisans. "There is no intermediary between us and the crafts people who make the art," David says.
"We think trade breaks down barriers. We deal with Muslims, Hindis, Buddhists, and Christians. Art, craft, and beauty are boundless."
Susan is an interior fabricator, and was the owner of Missoula's first natural fiber store, True Fiber. Her design talent can help either the novice or the discerning professional in selecting the most sublime item for their home. David is a long time Missoulian, and a former metalworker whose work includes the ice cream cone bicycle racks at Big Dipper Ice Cream.
China Woods is at the corner of Toole Avenue and Dickens St., just off of Orange or Broadway. It is 4 blocks West of the Montana Antique Mall, and directly across the street from the Warehouse Mall.
My brother, John, and my sister, Roberta, are also have websites. John owns Rishashay, a jewelry company based in Bali. Roberta's company is Search Widens. She designs and imports jewelry from India. Both are Fair Trade companies, and are wholesale only. Our Missoula friends include Lynn Redding, and Lea Sanders. Lynn's retail store is Mariposa Studio, selling hand made and eco-friendly treasures from India and Indonesia. Lea's store is Amira Rug Gallery, featuring fine tribal and traditional rugs. Also, for ice cream, there is none better in Missoula than Charlie Beaton's Big Dipper Ice Cream. Here's a picture of the ice cream cone bicycle racks I built for Charlie.
Susan and David (China Woods Store)
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Susan and David in Palmyra, Syria, 2008
Susan at Bagdad Cafe
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