New furniture store caters to commuters, islanders’ taste for low-key quality.

At Port Madison Home, the furniture is built to order – and so is the store.

During his days as a daily ferry rider, John Hays had been frustrated by how early most island shops close. His new furniture store keeps that commuting schedule in mind, extending business hours until 8 p.m. on weekdays.

“We’re going to be open when people are home,” Hays said.

Located on Hildebrand Avenue, Port Madison Home offers furniture for the living room, dining room and bedroom, as well as table settings, area rugs, bath fixtures, bedding and home office pieces.

“(We want to) give Bainbridge Island people a place close to home that offers fresh (and) current designs, which are also accessible and within the reach of families,” he said.

The collection caters to islanders’ taste for style without extravagance – a niche dominated by Seattle fixtures like Restoration Hardware, Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn – while raising the bar on the workmanship such stores offer.

“The concept of ‘good goods’ is always important to me,” Hays said. “(These pieces) don’t use molding to cover lousy craftsmanship.”

He points to the workmanship of a night table, in which wooden dowels solidly join the tabletop to its stand instead of glue alone. A golden brown leather recliner has the visual appeal of a popular competitor’s chair, but offers more: eight-way, hand-tied springs will keep the chair seat from sagging.

The work should please buyers looking for a few distinctive pieces – an Arts and Crafts bed or Mission-style wine cabinet for their bungalow or cottage.

Catering to a Bainbridge sense of quality doesn’t mean charging Seattle prices, Hays says.

“Because of enormous marketing power, (the competition) can command high prices half again higher (than ours),” Hays said. “It’s easy for us to compete on price.” At Port Madison Home, that price includes local delivery.

After 20 years in corporate furniture, the longtime islander wanted to get back into his community.

From 1991-1995, he ran Hobble and Hays Limited, his first furniture venture on the island.

“I’ve wanted to get back in ever since,” Hays said.

The new store is inspired by The Greenhouse in Bellingham, where customers can buy non-furniture tabletop items and glassware so that “a person can take home (something) even without furniture to freshen a home,” Hays said.

Filling some gaps on the island, Hays carries bath items like bath fixtures, towel bars and shower curtains.

For the many islanders working in home offices, offerings include a cabinet which opens up to reveal compartments for monitor, printer, keyboard tray – frequently set too high, Hays says – and space for writing. A built-in power strip has buttons to control each peripheral.

Hays has also brought in a few select office chairs. “Having been in corporate, I know the importance of a good chair,” he said.

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Port Madison Home is located at 1081 Hildebrand Lane NE.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 12-4 p.m. Sundays. Information: 842-3410 or www.portmadisonhome.com.