NKOTB, for anyone not of a certain age, stands for “New Kids on the Block.”

“My dream has always been to open a hardware store in my own neighborhood,” says Andy Scheman, whose Tribeca Paint—Hardware & Home opens tomorrow in the West Broadway space that used to be Tribbles. He knows hardware, as his family has been selling it for four generations at Scheman & Grant up in the Garment District; Scheman started working there, with his grandfather, when he was 13.

“I want to help neighbors and give kids summer jobs,” he elaborates. “I want to have breakfast in my neighborhood in all these spots that I can’t because I have to go to work. I want to be a fixture in the neighborhood.” Or at least more of one: A Tribeca resident for 25 years, he has lived on Franklin, Duane, Greenwich, and now White; his wife, Annie Chanler, works in Tribeca, and his kids went to P.S. 234.

Scheman has kept the style of Tribbles as much as possible—as a hardware store, of course, it’ll need to be “crammed full of stuff.” The stonework and counter are still there, as are the funky rounded ceiling panels. He was able to use some of Tribbles’s wooden racks, but others had to be replaced with metal ones that could support heavy cans of paint. And paint will make up a big part of the inventory: “With Janovic closing there’s no Tribeca outlet for Benjamin Moore,” says Scheman. Where Tribbles had fresh flowers will be a wall of paint chips and a table—“where people can sit with their kids while they shop.”

The goal is to be what Scheman calls a complete design solution, with window treatments and the ability to help with upholstery or lighting. (“Lighting is my area of expertise,” says Scheman, proudly showing off a wider-than-usual range of lightbulbs. “I also have a lighting design firm uptown.”) The store will have fulltime staff to do shop at home. “I have a person who has 22 years experience at Janovic,” says Scheman. Moreover, designer Karen Sachs will be in the store 15 hours per week to help advise customers.

For just about everything, Tribeca Paint will offer green options. “You can paint green from soup to nuts—buy a green roller and tray kit, strip it green, glue it green. You can buy green solvents. You can do green cleaning. We’ll have green window treatment options.” And of course green lighting.

Because the store is only 1,600 square feet—with no basement—Scheman has had to edit the selection, which he believes will make shopping easier. And if he doesn’t have what you’re looking for, the store can use Skype to communicate with Scheman & Grant. If they have the item, it will be delivered for free to you within 24 hours. “I’m gonna have a virtual hardware store,” says Scheman. Back in the real world, he’ll also be at Taste of Tribeca today, so stop by and say hi.

Tribeca Paint is at 217 W. Broadway (between White and Franklin); 212-925-4800, tribecapaint.com.