Metamorfa Is Building Beauty

John Meyer uses his architect’s eye to curate jewelry at Metamorfa in East Walnut Hills.
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Believe it or not, it was a background in architecture that inspired John Meyer to open Metamorfa, his East Walnut Hills jewelry, homegoods, and gift shop. The start and end points might seem a world apart—Union Terminal renovation to earrings made of polymer clay, anyone?—but trust him: It makes sense.

Photograph by Catherine Viox

“When I’m sourcing new jewelry, I always look for things that are geometrically driven,” he says. “As an architect, I’m drawn to classic pieces that will hold their style.”

Metamorfa opened in October, the third of Meyer’s Cincinnati storefronts, which is scheduled to grow to four by the end of the year. Metamorfa’s tagline, “forged in fire, grounded in earth,” is a nod to metallurgy, or using iron and ore harvested from the planet for jewelry or sand into glassware.

Photograph by Catherine Viox

The open-concept store was designed with modernity in mind, Meyer says. Inside, you’ll find jewelry at mid-to-high price points and a team of sales associates who will walk you through the store. Meyer has an eye for quality, and he knows his pieces aren’t priced to be impulse buys, but investments.

Photograph by Catherine Viox

“We want to find pieces that will last for years and years,” he says. “We’re really trying, as people come in, to build relationships with them because we love this neighborhood so much. We want to create an experience where we know your style, we know who you are, and we can help you build [your collection].”

Meyer came to own Metamorfa, which also carries gifts like barware and seasonal items, accidentally. When his previous employer offered a stipend to employees to get them away from their desks to work on creative projects, Meyer started to make bar soap, which eventually led to &Sundries, his first storefront. Meyer and his partner opened &Sundries in 2019, just before the world got stuck at home with nothing to do. As they looked for ways to reinvest, they identified pandemic trends, from barware for the at-home mixologist to bold earrings to spice up Zoom calls. Enter Metamorfa, which started at outdoor markets and grew in the background throughout the pandemic.

Photograph by Catherine Viox

Meyer is excited to be a part of the community in East Walnut Hills, and he hopes to see the area continue to grow. “I’m also one of the market managers for the farmers’ market and a few other community initiatives,” he says. “Being involved in building back that street is super important to us.”

Metamorfa, 2815 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, (513) 394-7117

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