A former decor and garden shop has been transformed into a chic and welcoming sales office for Morgan Lane Realtor Cyndi Gates.

Working with Morgan Lane owner Mike Silvas, Gates has turned the former Mosswood on Yountville’s main drag into her new space.

Just down the street from Morgan Lane’s other Yountville office, Gates has moved in with her two associates, and there’s plenty of room to welcome clients and guests.

Once home to a Yountville post office and library, the building has been completely remodeled. Gates opened her doors in early August.

A mustard yellow with black, gold and purple trim accents the exterior. Inside, what appear to be multiple plasma monitors but are actually lighted photo frames, showcase some of Gates’ current listings.

A 50-inch plasma screen on one wall plays picture perfect images of available properties.

Gates said she’s enjoying her new Washington Street offices. “We get a lot of walk-by tourism traffic,” she said. The broker estimated 30 to 40 percent of her business is visitors looking for a second home or to move to Napa County.

“But I do a lot of local referral business,” added Gates, who’s sold in the valley for 28 years.

A wall of flyers lists properties from the multi-million dollar luxury estates to what passes for a starter home in Napa these days.

Morgan Lane owner Mike Silvas said Gates’ office is his 10th branch, which besides Yountville, now includes Napa, St. Helena, Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Marin and Carmel.

He’s happy to be on the busy thoroughfare in Yountville as well. “This is a good, high visibility location for us,” said Silvas.

Gates designed and furnished the 2,600-square-foot space herself, she said. It features handsome dark antique reproduction desks with a curved 1800s period look. Leather couches invite guests to stay awhile, which they do, said Gates. A “signing desk” with stools offers a view of Yountville scenery. A copper topped wine bar is perfect for hosting clients or mixers, said Gates.

Gates’ new office isn’t the only improvements Morgan Lane’s made recently. Morgan Lane Realtor Steve Gregory’s Jefferson Street office in Napa is also undergoing a facelift inside and out.

Local designer Thomas Bartlett lent his expertise to the job, due to be completed by the end of November, said Silvas.

Gates said she outgrew her one room office at the Morgan Lane Washington Square location. When the Washington Street address became available, they jumped on it, said Silvas.

Silvas acknowledged a trend in designing real estate offices as showplaces in their own right. Indeed, Gates referred to the new space as a “house” several times.

“That’s how I wanted it to feel,” she said. Gates said she wants people to feel at home when they visit.

“You want people to have that relationship with you where when they think of home, they think of me,” she said.

While some real estate professionals are facing what’s being called a “struggling market,” Silvas said he didn’t hesitate to undergo the multiple remodeling projects. “We have a business to run, and part of that means maintaining our business.”

“A short-term drop in business is just that,” said Silvas, of recent market activity.

“I’m having a record year,” said Gates.

“And she’s not the only one,” said Silvas. “We have a number of agents who are having a spectacular year.”

Gates said that $1.5 million to $3 million home sales were “very active,” with buyers coming from all over the U.S., even England.

“It’s amazing,” said Gates, noting that she’s seeing more out of town second-home buyers than ever before.

Silvas and Gates were not concerned about recent entrants in to the area real estate business. “We’ve got all our referral systems intact, and established reputations,” said Gates.

“I think people will always come back to the quality services we offer,” she said.