When Charles Sprintz and his wife, Alyse, opened their first furniture store in Belle Meade Plaza, people said the business wouldn’t last two years.

It was 1981, and the recession made it a “bad time to start a business,” Charles Sprintz said. Aiming to differentiate itself from other furniture stores, Sprintz Furniture set out to sell good-quality furniture at the lowest prices, he said.

Now, nearly 25 years later, he and his family have grown the company from a single 10,000-square-foot store to the largest independent furniture operation in Tennessee, with 246,000 square feet of furniture, 150 employees, three retail stores and warehouse.

Over the years, the furniture industry has changed in many ways, Sprintz said, but perhaps the most notable surprise to him in running the business was the inclusion of his son, Bruce, who now serves as president and is the face of the company in its television ads, which represent more than half of the company’s advertising budget. Read more »

What do armoires, console tables, credenzas, cabinets, bars, baker’s racks and refrigerators have in common? They are all designs that have been transformed into a new breed of furniture for the wine enthusiast — or even the wine novice. Wine furniture is an attractive way to properly store wine and add to the beauty of your home.

Some furniture companies, such as Howard Miller, long known as a leading clock company, are featuring lines of furniture specifically designed to house wine, spirits, stemware and accessories. It has just launched a line of more than 25 wine and spirits cabinets and bars. Read more »