As Domaci expands its retail presence in the central city of Bethlehem, those looking to furnish their homes as quickly as possible will have more ideas in mind.
Domaci means “home” in Czech and is owned by Warren and Derrick Clark of Bethlehem. The pair opened their first brick-and-mortar store on Main Street in 2016 — a year after launching an e-commerce business in 2015. By January 2018, they had initially opened a larger location at 21 E. Third St., before closing it down in the summer of 2020.
In December 2020, the pair returned to the city center to use the refurbished space in the Myers building to build the 300-square-foot Domaci Marketplace and the 300-square-foot Domaci Design Studio at 523 Main St. The Clarks also launched the “Domaci Flea” collection, a collection of whimsical, vintage-inspired, handcrafted homewares – at Plants + Vintage. The collaboration with Steel City Plant Co. is located on the second floor of the historic Woolworth building at 551 Main Suite 205 on St.
Now, in their latest commercial endeavor, the Clarks are launching a new “pop-up store.”
“Domaci Home Pop-Up” at 521 Main St. will be adjacent to two existing Domaci businesses at 523 Main St. The pop-up store was used as a sneak peak and was later expected to be a 1,500-square-foot “Domaci Home” store. Domaci Home will be an extension of Domaci Market and Domaci Design Studio.
Derrick Clark told lehighvalleylive.com that their vision was to keep the two existing stores under the Domaci umbrella, while Domaci Design Studio would be part of the new Domaci Home concept. The location of the future Domaci Home, formerly the Designer Consigner, moved to another location on West Broad Street in Christmas City earlier this year.
Shopping fun at the Domaci Home Pop-Up begins with a preview night for MYdomaci Rewards members on March 11 from 5-11pm. Members will receive special promotions, entertainment, giveaways and refreshments, as well as their first chance to purchase a “Last Chance” floor model. Everyone else is invited to shop March 12-13 at the “Pop-Up Shop” offering more entertainment, giveaways, nibbles and snacks, and shopping.
The Domaci Home Pop-Up is expected to remain open throughout the spring. Then, the grand opening of the Dorque House will kick off sometime in late spring and early summer.
Domaci’s pop-up store, 521 Main St., will be unveiled to the public next weekend in downtown Bethlehem. The owners plan to open “Domaci Home” later this year, an expanded space that complements their two other businesses on the high street.
Warren Clark said the expanded site will allow owners to show customers more furniture and home décor.
“While we have been – and will continue to be – offering our guests a variety of additional online shopping options, we understand the importance of being able to see and feel some of the key components in person that will provide this opportunity,” he said.
Derrick Clark said more retailers needed to find a better balance between online and in-store shopping.
“It’s not that one is more important than the other,” he told lehighvalleylive.com. “Because our retail concepts are often limited in size, we often use our website as an extension of our showroom space, allowing us to extend our offerings beyond our four walls and create a fun and A rewarding shopping experience.”
“Similarly, we were able to reach potential customers that we couldn’t serve on a regional and national scale,” Derrick Clark added.
The Clark family describes Domaci Market as a “modern general store”. It offers tabletops, tableware and a growing list of gourmet options, as well as personal care items, greeting cards, home decor, wall art and decorative accents. Prices range from a few dollars for a greeting card to thousands of dollars for furniture.
Derrick Clark said Domaci Home Design offers a different furniture shopping experience, offering quality home décor and professional design services. Think of anything from a team helping choose a color scheme to creating gallery walls to deciding on a simple room update to embarking on a larger renovation project. Guests typically begin the process online from the studio’s website and virtual showroom, then extend the experience to the design studio or their home through Domaci’s home design services.
In addition to its four current businesses, Clarks partnered with co-owner Rebecca Additington in 2019 to open Ville & Rue by Domaci at 101 NQ in downtown Lancaster. In 2020, they joined the 24,000-square-foot Riverport Marketplace at 17 Second Street in South Bethlehem.
However, the couple has moved away from those efforts to focus on the Bethlehem Main Street site.
Domaci Home Pop-up and Domaci Design Studio; Domaci Market is open Monday 11am-6pm; Wednesday-Thursday 11am-6pm; Friday and Saturday 11am-8pm 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; and closed Tuesday.
Subscribe now and support the local news you rely on and trust.
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann can be contacted as follows: [email protected]lehighvalleylive.com.
