The furniture game is hardly novel to June Sedlak Mooney. The owner of furniture store and interior design company Studio J in Dublin has generational experience—her father, John Sedlak, opened Sedlak Interiors in her hometown of Cleveland in 1947 and operated it until his death in 2013.
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“I would do odd jobs—grommets and carpet samples, addressing postcards, announcing sales, things like that,” Mooney says of growing up working with her father. “I grew into it. My dad and I were really passionate about the business.”
Sedlak Interiors specializes in fine furnishings, and after her father’s passing, Mooney realized Columbus had a lack of similar shops. She started looking for retail spaces. “I like Columbus—it’s much more vibrant, the people here are so friendly, the weather’s better. Everything about it was just pulling me.”
Mooney opened Studio J at The Shoppes at River Ridge in 2015, just as Bridge Park was beginning development. While the closure of the roundabout (then an intersection) was unnerving for the Dublin newcomer, Mooney says it didn’t rattle her business too much.
Over a decade later, the shop stands as a testament to Mooney’s expertise. The showroom is stocked with sample pieces that are both for sale (at a discount) and on display. Most of the pieces are American made, “so most of what you see, we can customize,” Mooney explains. Couches are displayed alongside catalogues detailing options for depth, width, arm shapes, leg styles, metal finishes and wood species.
Mooney works with brands including Ohio-based Amish furniture makers and brands including the Norwegian brand Stressless, which features sleek, contemporary furniture designed for comfort; and upstate New York-based Stickley, which boasts high quality wood in an arts and crafts/missionary style.
Mooney describes the offerings as eclectic—you’re just as likely to find giant chess pieces and tiger print upholstered accent chairs as you are modular midcentury sofas. The two-level showroom has a little bit of everything on display, and if nothing there is quite your style, head to the design area—there are racks of fabric, leather, wood and metal samples, as well as extensive furniture and accessory catalogues.
The selection also emphasizes functionality, like a slim entry table that unfolds into a large dining table or a sofa console that can seat guests in small spaces. The interior designers at Studio J work with clients looking for a simple room refresh to whole home makeovers.
Though clients have a wide range of design preferences, Mooney says she sees people veering away from streamlined, contemporary styles and neutral, gray color palettes and moving toward traditional silhouettes, warm color schemes and textured fabrics. “I’ve got so many people that are like, ‘I did everything in gray—I don’t like it, it’s cold.’ If you don’t like it, don’t do it!”
After more than four decades of industry experience, Mooney still finds the job, and her interactions with clients, rewarding. “[The store’s] like a playground to me,” she says. “I work every day, and when people are like, ‘How can you do that?’ I say, ‘It’s not work.’ ”
Studio J’s August Art Show
Studio J
4505 W. Dublin-Granville Road, Dublin
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday
If you go: Studio J will host an art show Aug. 19-23 featuring wine, refreshments and a catalogue of original oil paintings for purchase. More information at studiojhome.com.
This story appeared in the August 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Studio J Brings Eclectic Furniture Finds to Dublin and Beyond
Reporting by Lucy Clark, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lucy Clark, Columbus Monthly | USA TODAY Network
