ONE TEN HOME FURNISHINGS

Article as seen in Long Island Merchants Magazine

There’s a strip along Route 110 in Farmingdale, between the Southern State Parkway and the Long Island Expressway, which seems like an endless stream of furniture stores. One in particular stands out for its selection, décor and experience.

One Ten Home Furnishings has been furnishing homes on Long Island for over 13 years. It started as a small shop featuring top-notch brand-name leather sofas and sectionals before gradually adding bedroom and dining room sets. Now, at over ten-times its original size, this 30,000 square foot Mecca currently has items to cover every room in the home. In addition to having the largest Natuzzi leather and Broyhill galleries in the New York area, they also have specialty items including grandfather clocks and curios. They have just expaned their Kids and Teens section to include popular brands including Berg and Build A Bear. This is an addition to the full line of youngAmerica from Stanley and a great selection of Ashley and Lea, which the gallery has been featuring for years.

One of the major benefits of shopping at One Ten Home Furnishings is their less-is-more approach. “We try to stay with just a handful of the top manufacturers, so we can carry more than just a few items from that line,” says store manager Neil Harris. “When people shop in other stores, they see a few pieces from each manufacturer, while we feature complete galleries. That makes a big difference because most of the other stores end up carrying the same things as each other. We make it a point to be different.”

According to Harris, working with only a handful of companies also allows the store to order larger quantities from suppliers for a better price. This savings is of course handed down to the consumer. One Ten Home Furnishings has the largest Natuzzi showroom on Long Island as well as other leading manufacturers including Sealy, Klaussner, Hooker and others.

Another great advantage of shopping there is the option to select a sofa style and customize it with your choice of coverings. Harris states, “We’re a special order house, and we have hundreds of fabrics and leathers to choose from. If you are spending your hard earned dollars on something, we feel you should not have to settle for what we have in inventory. We do carry different variations of the more popular styles in inventory, and that’s fine for customers who need immediate delivery, but the majority of our customers know what they want and how they want it. We’re geared to get them what they want at a great price.”

Best of all, the showroom has its own personality. Furniture groupings are spaciously arranged to allow customers to envision how the items could look in their own home, and each setting is cleverly decorated with accessories and artwork – you may also walk away with some decorating ideas! The courteous sales staff, all of which are seasoned veterans of the furniture business, encourage customers to browse, relax and most importantly try out the seating before they decide. “The most important thing when you are buying a sofa is comfort,” says Harris.

“Unfortunately some people shop with their eyes. A man who is 6-foot tall is not going to sit the same way his wife will if she’s 5-foot-2. He needs a deeper seat or one with a taller back. So, comfort is key before anything else. We’ll make it look the way you want it.”

The expertise of the sales staff extends to helping their customers find the right furniture for their needs, lifestyle and budget, whether it’s matching fabric swatches or making sure the piece is a perfect fit for the area. Harris offers these tips: “Start with the corner of your room and measure out. People have a tendency of measuring their old sofa, but that doesn’t work because everyone measures from a different spot. Also take into consideration the room’s design and décor, such as windows, closets, ceiling heights and doorways.”

Contrary to popular belief, choosing your furniture should be the first step to decorating a room; a step before deciding on paint and floor covering. “Always start with the biggest piece,” says Harris, “like a sectional or any seating arrangement. Then add the wall unit or tables and follow with the rug and other accessories. It’s easier to match paint and carpeting colors to a leather or fabric design as there’s a greater selection, whereas the style sofa you want may be limited to certain fabric or color.”

It’s easy to see that along with a great selection and great prices, it’s their concern for their customers that makes One Ten Home Furnishings the most popular furniture store on the strip. Harris adds, “Over the years we have learned that it is not enough to make a quick sale, it’s more important that our customers achieve the look they want and receive the quality that keeps bringing them back time and time again.”