By Jodi Schwan

The former co-working space for The Bakery has been turned into a collaborative office, merchandising space and upscale consignment shop for independent designers.

Design House opens to designers this week. Two of its second-floor offices have been subleased, and owner Megan Peterson expects eight to 10 designers will be initial members, which gets them listed on the Design House website and into a referral program.

“Something like this is needed in Sioux Falls,” Peterson said. “I kept hearing that over and over.”

She has recarpeted stairs, stained the floor and thoroughly cleaned but otherwise hasn’t made major changes to the building at 910 N. Main Ave. It historically was a bakery and sat vacant for years before owners Jeff and Sheila Hazard renovated it.

The Bakery moved to an online model earlier this year.

Peterson said interest in her model from designers has been strong, especially from those in the Twin Cities who occasionally work in Sioux Falls and want a space to meet with clients or work while they are in town.

“I didn’t expect that, so it kind of surprised me,” she said. “Any designer can use the space and buy out of it. You just have to be a member to be part of our website and our referral program.”

She is planning some lunch-and-learn events for designers and will offer continuing education. She has turned the basement level into a higher-end consignment shop open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or by appointment.

“We’ve got people all day long bringing in truckloads of awesome pieces,” Peterson said. “I didn’t know what to do with the basement, and another designer had that idea and it was perfect.”

A grand opening in scheduled for Sept. 21.