By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY – A few minutes before 10 a.m. Dec. 19, a group of customers gathered on the sidewalk outside of Urban Home Market, eager to step inside the new store and find furnishings for their homes.

“We’ve been preparing all week for this,” Sundi King said of the store’s grand opening in the Lee Branch shopping center on Doug Baker Boulevard. “I’ve got some tables I need to buy.”

King and her friend, Amiee Reeves, exchanged numerous text messages with each other leading up to the store’s opening.

“We drive by here, and we literally have counted down,” Reeves said. “I hope it (the store) brings complete life to this side of the shopping center.”

Kathy McMahon, owner of Urban Home Market and its sister store, Renaissance Consignment and Marketplace, said she hopes her new store is “a big boost” for the shopping area.

The 17,000-square-foot space Urban Home Market occupies was vacant for 10 years previously.

“It took us about four months of construction,” McMahon said as she talked about the process of opening a second store. “It was a fruit of labor of many designers. The dream finally came to fruition.”

Urban Home Market features furniture, draperies, rugs, lighting and a design center, where customers can peruse countless swatches of fabric and materials.

In addition, customers can take advantage of the store’s complimentary design service, which provides “anything from a complete inspiration to installation” and gives customers an opportunity to work with qualified designers on creating their dream home.

“We have excellent, award-winning designers on staff,” employee Tammy Heinss said.

The design service is free aside from a small charge associated with installing items delivered to customers’ homes.

“We’re so excited,” McMahon said. “We just wanted to offer something on this side of town that didn’t exist.”

Urban Home Market is located at 1001 Doug Baker Boulevard.

Business hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. The store is closed Sunday.

For more information, call 980-4663 or go to Facebook.com/urbanhomemarket.