"People love this store but some of the feedback I was getting was that they wanted to see the small accessories and gift items that I used to carry," said Roseanna Berkowitz, owner of B Civilized. "That was part of our motivator to move into a larger store."

The store, which used to be 2,000 square feet, will now grow to 8,000 square feet.

The move will be a welcome change for Willow Glen residents. It means the building will no longer house any restaurants or bars, which has been the site's long and sometimes controversial history. Its most recent tenant, D's, had residents on Blewlett and Settle avenues, which buttresses up against the site's parking lot, complaining about the noise generated by the restaurant's late-night activities. The restaurant closed earlier this year; since then the space has been vacant.

In November 2003, the location was home of Beavers Bar and Grill. Residents were offended by the Beavers name and its descriptive menu selections. When the facility turned into an eatery, its first tenant was Willow Billiards and Brew, which then changed to The Glen, an upscale restaurant and pool hall, before reinventing itself as Beavers.

With B Civilized moving in, the use of the space has come full circle, said Joe Ziegler of R & S Properties, the company that owns the property. The property once housed Normark Furniture, a Scandinavian furniture store, K & S furniture, an antique shop and Handcrafters Mall. It was only in 1997 that the space was remodeled to accommodate Willow Glen Billiards and Brew, he added.

"Having a furniture store is more family-friendly than a bar and restaurant where there's going to be noise and trash issues," Ziegler said. "It's a more neighborly and non-invasive business."

Berkowitz has wasted no time in putting her creative juices to work in transforming the space. She converted the kitchen into a storage space and will use the existing refrigerator to store fresh flowers that her store will now sell.

With some imagination, Berkowitz said, her team has been able to incorporate existing elements in the restaurant to meet their needs. One creative idea was modifying the bar into the store's front counter and gift-wrap corner.

"This is what B Civilized is about, being creative and using something in more than one way," Margo Leal, the store's merchandiser, said.

With more room, Berkowitz will have a garden section that showcases unique patio furniture like a double-chaise lounge and water trough-turned-fountain. She also plans to bring in larger architectural-type home accessories.

The top story of the building will be used as a furniture showroom where her team can meet clients who require design services. The ground floor will be stocked with gifts, bookcases and accessories such as bedding and window coverings.

Store manager Chris Collier also came up with the idea to hold late-night complimentary cocktail parties in the store.

"Once or twice a month, we're going to stay open late at night and serve hors d'oeuvres and cocktails," Berkowitz said. "A lot of people that shop here during the day want to show their spouses, usually husbands, what they saw. So we're going to have some late nights to accommodate people who work late."

The store's configuration will also encourage Willow Glen shoppers to stop in for a welcome break.

"We have a double fireplace so it's going to be like a cozy home environment," Berkowitz said.

She wants the store to become a place where people can roam around for hours without getting bored, and pick up new ideas on how to reuse the accessories in their homes.

"In the old B Civilized along The Alameda, people would come in and roam the store for an hour or two. They said it was therapeutic," Berkowitz said. "We want that to happen again."

B Civilized is moving to 1180 Lincoln Ave. Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call 408.292.6161.