CHARLESTON — Steve Grove’s new woodworking business, The Wood Company, transformed into something more than he originally planned  — a furniture store that also is an art gallery.

When he decided to lease the building at 63330 Boat Basin Road in the Oyster Cove Square Plaza two months ago, it was to showcase his handmade wood furnishings. Now, purely by accident, his store has become The Wood Company Hand Crafted Furnishings Showroom-Gallery, featuring the works of well-known local artists.

“If you had told me a year ago I would have an art gallery, I’d have said, ‘huh?’” Grove said from his brightly lit showroom on Monday.

These days he’s most excited to be hanging more than 100 original paintings by the “fab four” artists — David Castleberry and Dan Dunn of Charleston, and Dutch Mostert and Don McMichael of North Bend.

“These are four top-name artists who I’m honored to have,” Grove said.

The gallery started as an idea, a way to fill two side-by-side spaces totaling 3,500 square feet at the plaza. To his surprise, it was the tall gray building, with its hardwood floors and high open-beam ceiling, that attracted the artists.

“I was basically told, ‘Don’t hold your breath,’” Grove said. “They said, ‘Whoa,’ when they saw the building.”

As a gallery, Grove plans on featuring fine arts and adding a bronze sculpture artist.

On the store side, he is building “specialty home furnishings” in a workshop located at the gallery-store. The 28-year veteran of drafting and design in commercial building construction likes to work with solid woods including teak, oak, mahogany and cherry. He can do custom picture framing and commission work as well.

Grove and his wife, Teri Grove, have lived in Coos Bay for five years. They decided to open the business in Charleston because they liked the atmosphere and buildings at the fishing village.

Grove is working on three mirrors for a grand-opening celebration scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Sunday. The event will be catered by Four Seasons Catering in Coos Bay, with wine provided by Old Coyote Winery in Myrtle Point.

“I like stuff that allows me creativity,” Grove said. “I will talk to people about what they’re looking for.”

The Wood Company Hand Crafted Furnishings Showroom-Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information, call 260-4720.