Mystic — Early next year, Mallove's of Mystic will be moving across the street into what is currently Puffins, and Puffins is moving to Washington Street.

Mallove's of Mystic is relocating from 1 Cottrell St. to 4 Holmes St., while Puffins is moving a third of a mile down the road to 44 Washington St., near MBAR. Each store will be closed for the month of January and plans to reopen by Valentine's Day.

Jim Mallove said he has been planning to move his jewelry store for awhile because of changes being made to The Whaler's Inn.

Per Heidenreich bought the building in February 2015, but The Whaler's Inn Assistant General Manager Amy Munoz said the renovations are not due to the ownership change but to a desire to expand and grow.

Commenting that the inn needs more common areas for its guests, Munoz said the current lobby will become a library, and the new lobby will be where Mallove's is now. The restaurant Bravo, Bravo will be remaining at its Whaler's Inn space through 2018 and then will move into a new building across the street.

Mallove noted that the owners of Bravo, Bravo also own the building into which his store is moving, "so it feels really good to go into a building that's locally owned."

Mallove's of Mystic will have about 300 fewer square feet but will gain three designated parking spaces. The store will be at 1 Cottrell St. through Christmas and will begin renovations at 4 Holmes St. the first week of January.

Mystic employees will be at the Mallove's Waterford location, 262 Boston Post Road, in the interim. The third-generation jewelry store opened in New London in 1919 and moved to Waterford in 2006; the Mystic location, which has a bridal focus, opened in May 2012.

In the new Mystic location, Mallove's will be introducing a few new silver lines.

Puffins, which sells jewelry, painted glassware and artwork, downsized earlier this year, with a second location of Mystic Knotwork moving in next door.

Now, owners Margot Carlson and Betina Larrivee are looking to expand from their 800 square feet on Holmes Street to 2,500 on Washington Street. They say the decision to downsize but then move and expand is due to rent costs.

"We're going to reinvent ourselves a little bit, because retail has changed," Carlson said.

Puffins will continue to sell the work of local artisans, but the new space will feature more wall space for fine art, an expansion of John Medeiros jewelry, and added home accessories and furniture.

The store operated in Watch Hill for 28 years before moving to Mystic about six years ago.

e.moser@theday.com