NC Furniture Advisor

Where to stay in High Point

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:08:27 +0000

There are several places you could stay in High Point and I have a few recommendations based on my own personal experience and what I’ve heard clients say again and again.

Here are three of my favorites:

Pamper yourself: Grandover Resort
Elegant and relaxed, with a friendly, attentive staff. Rooms are well appointed and quiet, furnished with plush beds and 200 thread count sheets to help you relax and get a good night’s rest.

The resort also has a golf course, excellent bar and restaurant, and a full spa featuring facials and massages. You’ll appreciate the easy drive from the resort to many of my favorite furniture locations. Room rates are discounted for furniture clients, and upgrades may be available. Let us make the call for you.

grandover.com

Smart choice: Marriott Courtyard High Point
This is a great practical choice. It’s inexpensive, clean, and convenient. The room rate includes a good breakfast with several restaurants nearby.

As a top choice for travelling professionals, the Courtyard also features updated amenities such as an exercise room. I’ve recommended this hotel dozens of times and clients are always pleased.

www.marriott.com

B&B: JH Adams Inn
This is a charming bed and breakfast on Main Street in High Point. I love gracious old homes, and the Adams Inn is exactly that: An historic property beautifully restored in gracious southern style. “Luxury abounds … Egyptian Cotton linens, premium Sealy mattress, plush robes, lavish bathrooms, and elegantly decorated rooms…no two are alike,” per the Web site.

Warm and relaxed, the Inn also has a great restaurant and bar on site. Sit outside in the courtyard if the weather permits.

www.jhadamsinn.com

Advisor tip: Furniture clients can get special rates. Let us make the call for you.

Just right: The most comfortable kitchen chair

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:49:20 +0000

Montclair Collection by Conrad Grebel

Goldilocks has nothing on me.

In the last 10 years of working in the furniture business, I’ve personally tried every kitchen chair out there. Big ones. Little ones. Hard ones. I recently found a kitchen chair by Conrad Grebel Furniture that’s “just right,” and ordered one for my own home. Goldilocks would love it.

Conrad Grebel Furniture is one of my favorite lines. The Northern Indiana-based furniture maker creates heirloom pieces that you can afford now. Using craftsman techniques, they make furniture one piece at a time using solid oak, maple, cherry, and walnut wood. And everything is made in the USA.

With a blend of traditional styles and modern accents, the furniture ranges from traditional to transitional and suits a variety of tastes. Take a look.

Insider tip: The Conrad Grebel Furniture line will be going on sale soon in High Point, NC! Call us and we can arrange an appointment for you.

Furniture shopping? Take your home with you.

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:36:26 +0000

One of the toughest tasks about furniture shopping is that you can’t bring the one thing you’re shopping for: Your house. So if you’re coming to High Point, toss a few of the following things into your purse or car to help you find your perfect furniture fit. You’ll be glad you did!

Floor plan. Your floor plan includes wall length and the distance from doors to windows. These measurements allow you to decide if something lovable in the showroom is actually a livable piece of furniture in your home. Showrooms are big. Furniture looks smaller than it actually is.

Fabric swatches and paint chips. Bring samples of your drapery prints, furniture patterns, paint colors, and carpet colors. Most furniture stores have a no-return policy.

Digital camera. If you come to High Point, NC our customized shopping itinerary might take you through a variety of places. We can choose from private appointments in furniture showrooms, to discount stores with quality pieces. Take pictures of the pieces you like so you can review them at the end of the day.

Picture pages. Flip through magazines and tear out photos of styles and designs that you like. If you’re having a hard time explaining your style, your pictures can do the talking.

Make a drapery workroom appointment. If you’re working with a patterned print for the windows, we’ll help you make an appointment with a workroom to ensure that you’re ordering enough material for the drapes. When ordering material for drapes, a workroom will help you order extra lengths for hems and tops, as well as the “repeat.” A “repeat” is the entire length of a pattern on the drape material. You’ll want to make sure you have enough “repeats” so you can seamlessly match patterns on your drapes.

Decode the discount

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:53:09 +0000

Once upon a time (less than 20 years ago) 80% of America’s furniture was made in or near High Point, NC. We knew the names: Broyhill, Lane, Henredon, Ethan Allen, Bernhardt. Better manufacturers cost more. Price reflected quality.

Off shore manufacturing changed everything. Lower manufacturing costs meant drastically lower prices. Overnight, new furniture chains offered designer styles at rock bottom prices. Why spend $2800 on a sofa when a $600 sofa looked just as good? What’s the difference between a $1200 dining room and a $28,000 dining room? Does low price mean a great deal, or poor quality at full retail markup?

Evaluate the retail source. A store offering immediate shipment owns their merchandise Therefore, they have inventory costs and higher overhead. High Point superstores (those that remain) don’t order furniture until you purchase it. The mark up is lower, the value is better.

Evaluate the manufacturing source. Those familiar and trusted names are manufacturing in Asia now. There’s a learning curve in off shore production, and the quality could be less than you expect

Marketing is so tricky. Free shipping draws customers like a magnet. But discounts are usually deeper when you pay for delivery, and the net price lower.