Art Furniture, which has operated for nearly 14 years at Arizona Avenue and Elliot Road in Chandler, is going out of business, a casualty of the housing slump.

A liquidation sale is under way.

At one time, owner Yalchin Balci was grossing nearly $1.5 million a year. But business began to fall in 2006. The death knell for the company came in November, traditionally the busiest month for furniture retailers, when business was off 70 percent.

The decision to close the business has been painful. Read more »

The Furniture First Board of Directors approved 9 new members/stockholders: Michael Moss of Bear’s Furniture, located in Franklin, Pennsylvania; Craig Reis of Best Furniture, located in Fort Thomas, KY; David Capperella of Capperella Furniture located in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania; Michael Davidson of Davidson’s Furniture, located in Hornell, New York; Randy Hansen of Hansen’s Furniture, located in Atwater, California; Patrick O’Connell of Henco, Furniture located in Selmer, Tennessee; Sam Jernigan III of Jernigan Furniture, located in Goldsboro, North Carolina; Joe Redeker of Redeker’s located in Boone, Iowa; and Paul Thompson of Susie’s Furniture, located in North Lewisburg, Ohio. The addition of these 9 members brings Furniture First up 135 stockholders with nearly 300 storefronts.

The Furniture First membership executed another group purchase representing an import bedroom at the most recent Spring 2007 High Point Market. Although the membership has been purchasing containers for years, this time their purchase targeted one specific group from Samuel Lawrence Furniture (SLF). Initial flooring purchases from the membership have resulted in an opening order of 20 plus containers of this bedroom suite, with two-thirds of the membership having placed their order. Read more »

Stanley Furniture Company’s sales for the first quarter of 2007 were $75.1 million, down 10.1% from the first quarter of 2006. Earnings per share of $.15 compares to $.43 in the year-ago quarter. Both sales and earnings were at record levels in the first quarter of last year.

The company said lower margins resulted from lower sales and production levels, operating inefficiencies and higher raw material and compensation costs.

“Our business has stabilized over the past few months and we experienced little change in overall sales trends since late last year”, commented Jeffrey R. Scheffer, President and Chief Executive Officer. “While we are disappointed with lower sales and earnings, we believe this is consistent with current industry-wide conditions.” Read more »

Would you like to redecorate, but can’t find the time or the money?
You’re not alone. Here’s a quick, easy and, best of all, free recommendation that’s sure to please: Don’t redo; just rearrange!

The way you arrange your furniture can affect the mood of the room. So it is important to carefully study your space.

The first step in arranging your room is to determine the focal point. You may have an architectural feature, like a fireplace, which can be your focal point. If your room doesn’t have a natural focal point you can create one with a large piece of furniture, an interesting piece of art or a dramatic window treatment.

Next, construct a floor plan using graph paper. The scale will depend on the size of your room. Be sure to include windows, doors, fireplaces, staircases, electrical outlets and the focal point of the room.

Measure your furniture pieces and make a template for each. Move the templates around your floor plan to find the best arrangement before actually moving any furniture. Read more »

Properly preparing and storing your outdoor furniture helps ensure it will be in good shape and ready for use when spring comes. Here are some tips from Susan Dovel, patio manager for B&G Fireplace and Patio in Jackson Township:

• Clean your furniture so bird droppings, pollutants and other kinds of dirt won’t damage the finish over the winter. You can use a product made for outdoor furniture, or create your own cleaner by mixing one-quarter cup liquid dish detergent and one-quarter cup household bleach with 1 gallon of water. Use a nylon brush on outdoor wicker to get into all the little spaces.

• Tip the furniture so any water that’s gotten inside the frame will run out through the drainage holes. If you don’t, the water could freeze and expand, possibly splitting the seams.

• Check for cracked or damaged end caps that could let in moisture during the winter, and replace them. Read more »

The father-daughter team of John Martin and Kathy Beach has successfully built a half-century of furniture retailing in Clarksville.

Direct Furniture first opened near downtown in 1956. It’s now in St. Bethlehem.

“I was, at first, a manager of the store, which was originally down on Ninth Street,” Martin recalled. “R.C. Pressler and Morris Martin were the original owners.”

The address was 118 Ninth St., to be exact, next to J.B. Cook Auto Parts.

John Martin bought an interest in the furniture store in the late 1950s, and he’s been in it ever since.

Eventually, growth necessitated a move to the current location near Wilma Rudolph Boulevard and Old Trenton Road. Read more »

Have you noticed that your living room is looking a little tired? Has your dining room lost its zest? Would you like to redecorate, but can’t find the time or the money?

You’re not alone. In our travels around the country, my co-host, Shari Hiller, and I have found these to be common concerns. And we have a recommendation that’s sure to please. It’s quick, it’s easy and, best of all, it’s free.

Don’t redo; just rearrange!

The way you arrange your furniture can affect the mood of the room. So it is important to carefully study your space. Analyze both the architectural features and the contents of the room. Think about how the room is used, how the room functions and how the traffic flows. Read more »

Furniture First, a national buying group serving the retail home furnishings industry, was recently honored as a recipient of the Wells Fargo Financial Retail Services Client Award.

The annual award recognizes select clients for success achieved with their consumer private-label credit card program through Wells Fargo Financial Retail Services. The award is based on program participation and credit card sales volume.

“We are honored to accept this award on behalf of the board of directors and all participating members of Furniture First,” said Bill Hartman, president of Furniture First, Inc. “We are pleased to be associated with business partners who truly care about our business. We look forward to continuing our relationship and growing our mutually exclusive program with Wells Fargo Financial Retail Services.” Read more »

Furniture First recently concluded its 10th Annual Symposium in Nassau. The extended weekend provided members with the opportunity to mix business with family fun and tropical sunshine. Prior to the symposium, Furniture First board members met for a two-day long-term planning session to chart the future of Furniture First.

“This year’s Annual Symposium enabled our members to have fun in the sun and hours of invaluable networking,” said Shelly Burd, Director of Operations at Furniture First. “Speakers Pat West [of West Retail Consulting] and Martin Roberts [of GRID2 International] offered our members insightful seminars and individual attention. As always, ‘The Best Idea Session’ was stellar.” At this year’s symposium, with its relaxed tropical location, members were able to confer with the speakers one-on-one and get advice for their stores. West and Roberts also attended networking and roundtable sessions with the members. Read more »

By MATT FOX Home & Garden Television

The holiday season is right around the corner. For most of us that means a houseful of family and friends, a time when we want our home to look its very best. And, as you begin to prepare your holiday decor, it’s a perfect time to give your wooden furniture pieces a bit of extra care.

My co-host, Shari Hiller, and I have decorated many rooms, and one thing is for sure: wooden furniture is a staple in American homes. It can add beauty and elegance to your home and, when cared for properly, can last for generations.

Ben Franklin could have been speaking about fine wooden furniture when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” To prevent serious damage to your wood furniture, be careful not to position it in direct sunlight; this can cause drying, fading and hairline cracks of the surface. It also is important to periodically rearrange lamps and other accessories to help prevent spot bleaching. Read more »