Behind the Business: Jones Hardware & The Furniture Room

BUHL, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Back in the late 1960′s a police officer with the LAPD named Ken Jones, along his wife Emma, had small family and wanted to provide them with a better life.

That’s when a trip to Buhl, Idaho changed everything for the Jones family.

“He wanted his own business, and he came to Buhl on a trip – looked the store over - and he decided that this was the place he wanted to live. The loved Buhl and he loved the store.”

When the Jones family bought the store, at the time it was a Western Auto. And after a few years under that name - this small, and now independently owned hardware store, changed its name to what its currently known as - Jones Hardware.

And over 50 years later, the daughters of that husband-and-wife team ‘the Jones Sisters’, Kimberly Smith and Connie McDonald, are continuing the family business.

“it’s amazing how much we know when it comes to hardware. People are impressed – especially men – are impressed with our knowledge and ability to help them,” said McDonald.

“And it helps that we started at about 14 or 15 years old,” said Smith.

Beyond the inspiring story of their family’s history, the levels of pure Americana that ooze out of this local hardware store can almost transport you back to a long-forgotten era.

“The building itself is over 100 years old, we have the original tile-tin ceiling and wood floors,” said Smith.

And it’s not just the historical factor of the building - Jones Hardware has everything that any big-box store could offer. And honestly, they might have more.

“We do paint, we have appliances- small and large appliances, we have a small engine shop. We do all the typical hardware too and we’ve expanded with furniture,” said Smith.

Back in the 70′s - their mother, Emma Jones, started selling furniture inside the shop. Which for the small community of Buhl, went over very well.

So well actually, 80 steps away from Jones Hardware sits The Furniture Room.

“This is our furniture room, this was an old warehouse – it still is an old warehouse, but we were so cramped across the street. Mom used to have sofas and stuff just piled up in there and we decided to take half of the warehouse and expand a bit,” said McDonald.

But what makes The Furniture Room so unique is their business model – a model that screams small town America.

“We don’t staff it. When you come in, it buzzes us across the street at Jones Hardware, and we just hop on over here and that’s how we keep our prices very reasonable,” said McDonald.

If you’d like to check out everything jones hardware and the furniture room has to offer. Jones hardware is located at 1029 Main Street in Buhl - and The Furniture Room is across the street at 1104 Main Street.

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