Official Blog of Gallery Furniture's Mattress Mack of Houston, TX

World’s Best Sleeper Sofa!

Ever visited your relatives in another city and slept on their sleeper sofa? Did you end up tossing and turning all night long, then you wake up feeling like you went 12 rounds with Muhammed Ali? If your answer is yes, Gallery Furniture has great news for you – and your guests!

Gallery Furniture now proudly carries the American Leather Queen and King-Sized Sleeper Sofas – the best sleeper sofas in the world! Why do I say that American Leather sleepers are the best sleeper sofas? Well, I can give you three reasons for that.

First, these queen and king-sized sleeper sofas by American Leather are upholstered using only the finest of Italian Leathers. The leather is soft, it's supple, and of course, this is 100% top-grain cowhide, the kind when you place your hand on it, the leather exudes quality.

Second, the real story of the Gallery Furniture American Leather Sleeper Sofa is found inside. When you open up this sleeper sofa, you'll be surprised to find the mattress is a genuine Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic mattress! That's right, folks, inside every Gallery Furnitire American Leather sleeper sofa is a Tempur-Pedic mattress that sleeps like a dream.

Third, the American Leather Sleeper Sofas are all American-made, made right here in Texas, for Texans, by Texans. This is not some cheap Chinese import - this is THE BEST quality, American-made Sleeper Sofa.

Being in the furniture business, very few product lines end up astounding me – but the beauty, comfort, and engineering of the American Leather Sleeper Sofa made my jaw drop! This is one incredible sofa by day, and an oh-so-incredibly comfortable Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic mattress by night. You've got to see it & lay on it to believe it! So come out to either Gallery Furniture location TODAY – 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell & Parker or 2411 Post Oak Boulevard and experience the world's best sleeper sofa for yourself, your family, and your friends. You will be surprised and delighted at you see AND what you feel.

And oh, by the way, there is one thing that I forgot to tell you about the Gallery Furniture American Leather Sleeper Sofa – please don't get upset if your friends and family decide to stay another night!

The Future is BRIGHT!

This morning I was privileged to address the students and teachers at Clear Creek Intermediate School. Having spoken at hundreds of schools, I always expect the best, the best students, the teachers, the best employees! I found all of this and more at Clear Creek Intermediate School - what a great school!

Speaking to a group of over 800 6th, 7th, and 8th graders - along with 60 teachers and additional staff - can often be a daunting task. Keeping the attention of the students is critical in a big gymnasium. The speaker must often work hard to control the crowd - but this was not the case with the Jaguars!  The students' attention span was terrific - many props to the principal, teachers, students and staff for their time and attention. The bright eyes and smiling faces of the over 800 boys and girls who were eager to learn, eager to grow, and eager to better themselves convinces me that the future of the United States is a bright one, INDEED! These fine young people are motivated to be in school and certainly motivated to learn and succeed in life.

Want to be inspired? Then take some time to visit a school like Clear Creek Intermediate School and see the bright future of the United States - the great students there, the teachers and staff who give so much to our future, and to the local community through their dedication to our nation's future.

I was told that Mr. Jerry Herd, the principal, who had previously served neighboring La Porte ISD for over six years, came to Clear Creek Intermediate in February and it has been a whirlwind getting a school ready for a new use. Turns out that Mr. Herd was faced with a tough task of turning a sole-use campus of 9th graders into an Intermediate School for 6th - 8th graders. He spent countless hours with architects, administrators, teachers, and the like getting the school ready to serve the wonderful families of the Clear Creek area – after long hours bringing Gallery Furniture back to 100%, believe me I can appreciate the hard work and effort that Mr. Herd and his dedicated staff went through getting their campus up to 100% - it's a tough job, and the teachers, staff, and principals at Clear Creek Intermediate get an A+ for a job well done in their community. Even more impressive than navigating these tasks was that Mr. Herd bought lunch for all the students at Clear Creek Intermediate School on the first day of class! What a great gesture!

It's clear that the students at Clear Creek Intermediate School have bought-in to the vision that Mr. Herd, along with assistant principals Ms. Janice Butcher and Ms. Amy McDonald, and the wonderful teachers have created at Clear Creek Intermediate. A vision of great students fostered by great education with a staff committed to bringing a bright sunny future into the present. The end result is a win-win for all - and the Clear Creek Intermediate Jaguars are all winners.

A big thanks to the students, teachers, and principals of Clear Creek Intermediate School for having me speak to the terrific 6th, 7th, and 8th graders of your school!

Unique Deco Pieces and... furniture made from FOSSILS??

 
picture may be worth a thousand words, but a fossil has a word count that is beyond counting.  New to the retail wholsesale business, custom furniture designer John Strauss uses materials such as fossils from lakebeds - you read that right, fossils - to make gorgeous works of art as well as coffee and accent tables.  So, it's not often you get to set a drink down on a piece of stone where you can see the fossil bones of millions and millions of years ago right below your glass of Coca-Cola, but Gallery Furniture's High Point Market team found just such a piece you could accomplish this on.

 
 
Though Strauss has branched out - and the Gallery Furniture High Point Market Team found him as a result of Twitter trends on the High Point topic - he still has not fully engaged in the retail sales experience, and so he's pretty lucky to get found by the Gallery Furniture High Point Market buying team.  Carol Dougherty, Nancy Burke, Lori Murphy, and a Gallery Furniture staffer checked out the very chic showroom John Strauss had in Interhall at High Point Market.  John Strauss only brought a few pieces in, but the pieces he brought in had an impact on Lori, Carol, and Nancy. 

"The use of the fossil in the stone is innovative, this is AIA Home quality material here," she said flatly, referring the Architectural Association's annual pick of homes in Houston, TX.  Beyond that, "I liked his catalogue of material and pieces he does, many are hard to peg down in style - and I like that - are they transitional?  Traditional?  Contemporary?  When you can't pin down a type, that means the furniture will last your family a while."

From dining to occasional, from benches tbold fossil art pieces, John Strauss had a lot of bases covered beautiuflly, though he extent of his catalog was not done one bit of justice by the smaller space he occupied.  A great find by the wonderful team for Mattress Mack to go through!

Cabinet Sideboard? Dining Table? Both.

 

 

The coolest cabinet that becomes a dining table.  Lori (of the Gallery Furniture High Point Market tea composed of customers) found, at Jasper Cabinet, a small side cabinet that expands out to become dining - with middle leaf leg support and you can size the dining table based on how many leaves you want to have.  This is just one of the many gems Gallery Furniture found while at High Point Market that were unique and functional.

"I like this," said Lori, "when you live in tight spaces, or you are just needing the extra seating space, it works to have something that can serve a dual function as a sort of sideboard.  I think it's also mindblowing - what guest what know it was there?"

Additional leaves are located below, for easy storage.  Gallery Furniture believes in you, the customer, which is why Gallery Furniture sent the world's greatest customers to find storage and space savings solutions in your living room, dining room, and other rooms of your house. 

"Seriously, this is the coolest thing on earth.  And it's practical."

Traditional Furniture Find at High Point Market

Patricia Brinker found a gorgeous traditional chair with a fine fabric pattern that she absolutely adored by Sandmore Furniture.  In this Gallery Furniture High Point Market, Gallery Furniture sent the world's greatest customers to scout for not just the new and contemporary, but new vendors with a traditional sense of style and taste to match the wide demographic of our wonderful home city of Houston.

From Katy to Kingwood, from Conroe to Sugar Land, from League City to Humble, and from inside the loop with the Museum District, Midtown, Montrose, Washington Corridor to the Heights, the variety of places to live matches the variety of citizens that make Gallery Furniture's home city such a melting pot.

 

 

Serving those tastes means finding the best in every category and style, and Patricia Bricker did a great job on this video finding one product she wanted Mattress Mack and Gallery Furniture to carry.  Patty is having a fabulous time selecting pieces in every look and range for her fellow great Gallery Furniture customers not to just save money on, but to have available TODAY.

Accent Chairs Bonanza Finds at High Point Market!

 
Gallery Furniture's High Point Market Team - the first buying market team sent by a retail store that actually had customers involved in the buying process, saw lots of gorgeous products all over the beautiful area of downtown high Point, North Carolina (home to two large furniture showcases each year, the world's largest home furnishings and accessory showcase). 

Since the team members consisted of the world's greatest customers, then it stands to reason that they would find pieces that were not only remarkable and beautiful, but also filled some holes in the Gallery Furniture line-up.  When Patricia Brinker and Valerie McKinney walked into Our House Designs over in High Point, North Carolina, she found a line-up of accent chairs that were not only richly traditional, but they also had a series of curves and beauty that could be enjoyed by Houstonians all over the Gallery Furniture area.

 

 
 
Gallery Furniture's customer-centric focus means truly engaging the customer in the overall workings of Gallery Furniture - including the selection process.  As such, customers making selections for product to carry just seems like a practical idea - after all, the end user should be the one making the selection, since these are the folks who actually use the furniture on a daily basis.

 
 
These accent chairs represnt versatility as well - with functional use in bedroom, living room, entry foyer, game room, or other part of the home where having that extra chair or two can finish the look or compliment a theme going on within the home.  Big thanks go to customers like Patricia Brinker and Valerie McKinney who make such fabulous finds for Gallery Furniture customers to look at and enjoy.

 
 
Whether rich leathers, fine fabrics, or gentle curving woodwork, an accent chair does not have to fully match a set, it has to compliment and work.  That's the key, and these chairs have the look and versatility to make a house a home in many ways, so that's why they wanted to show the world's greatest customers of the world's greatest furniture store some beautiful accent chairs from Our House designs.

Eco-Friendly Furniture Find at High Point Market!

Going Green, and Finally at a Normal Price

 

 

Lots of times, when it comes to upholstered furniture in the furniture industry, folks can't seem to get a price that works.  You look around, and to be quite frank, the idea of sacrificng little Johnny's tuition money for a new loveseat or couch doesn't seem to weigh against saving the planet.  So, it was a neat find for the dedicated customers who went to the Gallery Furniture High Point market trip, who each found new and novel pieces in every category, to stumble upon the likes of BKIND3 - a company dedicated to an American-made piece of quality furniture that not only is affordable, but is eco-friendly, too.

It was a visit that lent itself to the concept that price can be normalized in the eco-furniture lines, and with its sustainability model, BKIND3 was a unique and fun find that allowed Gallery Furniture to finally see some progress in comfortable price points for consumers who, yes, want to care about the environment in every aspect of their lives, but wanted to do so affordably and without breaking the family budget.

Lori Murphy, local Houston architect and member of the Gallery Furniture High Point Market trip, found this collection at the High Point market and wanted to show Gallery Furniture customers and Mattress Mack this find in a sectional whihc looks similar to pieces on the floor already at Gallery Furniture!

The sectional shown in the video as manufactured by BKIND3 carries recycled cotton and sustainably made wood framing, all done right here in the United States - Gallery Furniture believes in quality, and pieces made here in the United States are often done with care and pride and an eye on quality.  Gallery Furniture's customers - the world's greatest - spend hard-earned money on their furniture, and deserve the best.

Reclaim, Reuse, Recycle, Reborn... finds by Gallery Furniture at High Point Market

Nancy Burke of League City, a part of the Gallery Furniture High Point Market team, wanted to show the great Gallery Furniture customers, the world's greatest customers, about a find that she came across of some gorgeous reclaimed solid wood furniture from Sarreid furnitu re in a style that is part European, part American, and all very environmentally conscious.  With an eye on style and a penchant for pieces that allow the end user to do some customization of their own, these pieces (like the cocktail table shown above) are not only unique, they are solid, gorgeous, and each has a story.

Sarreid says that each piece has a story, and in some cases it appears you can make one.  "What I found most interesting," said Nancy, "is that with this cocktail table made of reclaimed wood they displayed it with used wine corks inside - I think that is great and I honestly thought it came like that until they told me I could fill it with whatever I want."

"That is what I loved the most, that I could craft the piece a bit and make it mine.  I liked that very, very much.  I did a quick Internet search using the NHFA's Retailer Resource Center that I saw tons of stuff talking about Sarreid's that I know it will be great call if Mack and Gallery Furniture carry a line that is a bit chic and still has a green aspect to it."

More than that, apparently, was the stylish use of things such as wine barrels that Nancy found extraordinarily attractive when used as seats.  Leather padding on top and still showing the type and style of grape that had been processed, the barrels become a center piece of conversation.  Said Nancy "They're just gorgeous. They are cute and an innovative way to make use of something that would ultimately be destroyed because the wine maker may not have another use of it."

Chic indeed, Gallery Furniture loves to find the new and innovative, and for all the great Gallery Furniture customers who wander the store, they know they will find stylish and gorgeous lines of eco-friendly pieces such as solid mango wood dining tables Home Trends & Design of Austin, TX, as well as solid wood country style furniture such as those found by Groovy Furniture with their commitment to sustainability.

And along with a commitment to sustainability comes style - because the customer comes first and the Gallery Furnitrue customer is style-conscious at all price points.  And this line provided a host of pieces that are very stylish indeed and even construct furniture that reproduces old antiques they feel are stylish and should be brought back, such as the pieces shown below:

 
And beyond stylish is practicality, "This sideboard is perfect and I hope Mack sees it, you need a thinner piece in some Houton homes, this works nicely."

 
Gallery Furniture's High Point Market team, made up of a set of the world's greatest customers - our customers - and they continue to find great product lines and great items to show even after long days and long hours.  This crew really has highlighted the Gallery Furniture way.

Style in Stone - a High Point Market Find by Gallery Furniture

 
  
Growing a business is tough stuff.  Ask the men and women who work at Gallery Furniture, who work every day for the world's greatest customers to find them the best and greatest of new and innovative products for the world's greatest furniture store.  So, when the Gallery Furniture High Point Market Team, composed of customers from Gallery Furniture to help along the normal team, went into a showroom at High Point called Stone International, new and innovative took on a whole new meaning.

You see, Stone International has built their business on the backs of sticking to what they do best - gorgeous travertine, marble, and granite tables.  They did not waiver, they did not pursue anything new, they did what they did best from their founding in 1977 to around about 1992: stone.  Like Gallery Furniture's commitment to the TODAY philosophy, and always striving to do what you do best (such as Gallery Furniture being customer centric and customer focused) - Stone International worked on some key values and did what they did best.  Now they have expanded to other categories in furniture, much as Gallery Furniutre has expanded to offering even wider selections of living room, dining room, bedroom furniture, and more.

 
 
And Gallery Furniture's High Point Market team, composed of real customers - just like you - found these gorgeous, sturdy, and unique pieces at High Poingt Market and wanted to make sure Mattress Mack and the entire Houston area saw exactly what they want to have sold at Gallery Furniture, home of the world's greatest furniture customers. 

By the way, Don't Forget the Bark!

Innovation is often found in companies that go through the trouble of using materials in new ways.  With Gallery Furniture, finding companies that share the common value of thinking outside the box is always a great thing. 

 
 
That's why, when Gallery Furniture decided to let the consumer make some choices at High Point Market, the world's largest furniture showcase, it was viewed by many in the industry as thinking outside the box of normality and as a result, it may have been viewed by some with skepticism. 

 
 
Likewise, when a couple members of the team - Debbie Spurr and Nancy Rawson - found their way into Mayland Court to look at various pieces of furniture for Gallery Furniture - they themselves may have had just a bit of skepticism when told the company actually uses the bark of the tree in its construction technique for panels, inlays, and drawer fronts.  Though seemingly strange at first, as they were quick to realize, it's often the radical ideas that will work the best - especially these from the Natural Elegance collection by Mayland Court.  They had to show Houstonians these great pieces.

 
The bark, specficially treated to gain a strength and durability that matches the wood used throughout, was most often used in a decorative, non-structural capacity.  Mayland Court used the bark to bring a very natural look to case good pieces that were at once transitional and powerful, merging mother nature's beauty directly into the piece fit for the home.

"Making full use of the tree is a plus.  It kind of speaks to a commitment to full use of resources, and I can respect that," said Nancy Burke.

"Another thing," added Debbie Spurr, "it's really neat what they did with the bark - adding things like silver leafing and other features to bring the beauty of the bark to life."

Indeed it is, and Gallery Furniture customers love the new and innovative when it can become a part of their every day life.  Furniture is more than a place to put the clothers, pack a shirt, or hold your jewelry - furniture is a statement, furniture is a lifestyle reflection, and furniture tells the world more about you.

Gallery Furniture Goes to the Andes... at High Point

Gallery Furniture's team of customers turned buyers at High Poingt, North Carolina made a find they wanted to share with Mattress Mack and the greatest customers in the world - the wonderful men and women who walk through the doors at either 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell and Parker or 2411 Post Oak Boulevard. 

The pieces that have been seen by nearly every single team member which all agree are certainly worth carrying at Gallery Furniture are all eco-friendly, made from 100% solid wood, and have some of the most unique features ever.  More than that, these gorgeous pieces have a story, a story that sometimes adds that final touch of detail in your Houston furniture.

 

Pictures above, see the San Pedro Bed by Andes International, all of the wood you see here in this beautiful bedroom piece is constructed using old railroad ties from the remote parts of Chile.  Designer and owner Fernando Urquiza, a native of Chile himself who has grown his company from a team of 10 members to a group of 100, while retaining the hand-made artisans that first made the company successful in 1991.

Regarding the San Pedro Bed: given that in the more dry parts of Chile the wood itself is not treated with the same chemical process and finish that are found in United States railroad ties, the wood hardens in a natural state for strength and beauty.

As Gallery Furniture customer Lori Murphy stated, "This is your Crate and Barrel customers who really don't want the lower quality of Crate and Barrel - they want higher quality, period.  This brings you a unique look, too, you don't get with Crate and Barrel.  Here, you get beauty and a nice eco-friendly story to back it up."

 

The Madera Bed, shown above, even more so echoes these qualities of the Pottery Barn/ Crate and Barrel customer who needs a higher quality at a similar retail price point.  Said Nancy Burke of League City (a professional cellist who is on the Gallery Furniture High Point Market Team): "This is gorgeors, and the owner's environmentally sound business practices makes this even more attractive - you also get a higher quality for the price, something the big box stores don't seem to get.  I can get a type of bed anywhere, but I can't get my bed everywhere - and the story behind this bed makes it my bed, its beauty is unique and you can be proud of it."  When this bedroom group was viewed by the rest of the Gallery Furniture team, words such as "solid, beautiful, and well-constructed" came rushing forth.

The dining table series shown above, the Elqui by Andes International, was something also found by the High Point Market Team that is both beautiful and its strength can be felt as you run your hand over the smooth surface, following the natural texture as you move from end to end.  The Sueletta Chairs that join it, below, use top grain leather weave in the back that, at first glance, may not seem comfortable at all.  "I was very, very surprised," said Lori, "that is a darn comfortable chair, and when you look at it first, you just don't get that impression, but take a seat, you can sit down for hours with your family in this chair."

Gallery Furniture is committed to having an eye on the future of sustainability in the product line, and as more and more pieces in the dining room, living room, and bedroom furniture categories expand to inlcude these lovely eco-friendly motifs in their line, Gallery Furniture will check them out.

A big thanks to the High Point Market team of customers dedicated to finding the newest and greatest for the world's greatest customers of the world's greatest furniture, Gallery Furniture, for finding new and innovative pieces at great value and quality - all while being sustainably made.

A Children's Furniture Bonanza at High Point found by Gallery Furniture

Lea Furniture was visited by the Gallery Furniture High Point Market in full force, if for no reason than the fact that no matter where you turned your head in High Point, there was a Sponge Bob Square Pants or Dora the Explorer everywhere, and all because Lea paired up with television network Nickelodeon.  Gallery Furniture, the world's greatest furniture store, understands being ubiquitous in marketing, but the fun part was going to check out just what all the hoopla was about and do the due diligence test.

 

 

The ladies that make up the Gallery Furniture High Point market team were certainly not fooled, and passed by the cartoon-branded product line and found a higher-quality, more durably constructed set beyond the initial cartoon-created line.  They found the Lea furniture elite collection for children.  A line that truly exhibits the form, functionality, and beauty that your child deserves.

Nancy Burke said "as a mom, I grow tired of seeing big, bulky same old, same old bunk beds and children's furniture that makes me yawn.  Look!  It's also the same panel bed that everyone has.  This line offers a serious love of diversity in style, form, function, and at a retail price that rivals the current lines you see.  This is not some big national chain nonsense that everyone has, this is unique and it is beautiful, and your child will grow with hit."

Patricia Brickner, former photographer for the Houston Chronicle, was quick to add: "this line has your regular style bunk beds, and they make them well, but they also have your standard sleigh and panel beds - but the fun difference is storage, Houston families need storage to grow because not everyone has space to spare."

 
And the furniture thinks about kids, offering a media chest for a youth room that has room and a special area designed for XBox or Wii systems and a place for a Playstation.    Also modular, like the vanity and chest set shown below.  Move out the chests, and you have a freestanding vanity.

With trundle options and more, the sets from Lea were a hit with the Gallery Furniture High Point Market team.  The storage, the modular ability, everything you can think of to grow with a child for a time to come, are encompassed in the various collections they want to show Mattress Mack and the Gallery Furniture team.
 

Gallery Furniture High Point Market Team has looked at Accessories

Valerie McKinney of Sugarland has been part of the High Point Marke team selected furniture, that is true, though she has stated that she gets whiplash as she goes through the various stores at High Point Market as she sees mirrors, lamps, paintings and artwork.  "I find that you can't pull away from them, they can go everywhere, and so much of it is beautiful - though finding pieces that can fit with nearly everything and the entire Gallery Furniture line of living room, bedroom, and more is tough."

Valerie wanted to share some of the many pieces that she found attractive in accessories at Market - which was great tining for the Gallery Furniture High Point Market team, since Gallery Furniture's own Matt Pitcher also showed up today after flying in late last night.

 

"I wanted to show this mirror because it was big, just look at the hand, and it goes well with being pulled anywhere because it can go with either old or new trends with the gold or silver leafing mix in the frame, and it really pops everything out.  Its sheer size opens up any space."

Valerie McKinney, along with the host of other customer buyers on the trip, have been very succesful in their daily searches for the latest and greatest in Gallery Furniture products to serve the world's greatest customers.
 
 

Debbie Spurr Finds a Chaise for Gallery Furniture and Mattress Mack

Debbie Spurr, trained in interior design though she chose to teach the youth of our country for the past thirty-one years in Friendswood, TX and she was excited to be a part of the High Point Market team.  Debbie tends to only do photos or blogs when the item really, really pops.  In her words, "the piece has to really make the home" and this chaise lounge really makes the top of her list.

Gallery Furniture Customer Carol Dougherty Showcases Two Upholstery Lines for Mack

Gallery Furniture's great customers have been fanning out all over the High Point Market - the world's largest furniture market - and more than just finding new and exciting products, these great customers are also expressing the latest and greatest in styles in trends for living room, dining room, leather, upholstery, children's furniture, and occasional tables and more.

In the videos below from High Point Market, Gallery Furniture customer Carol Dougherty goes over her finds and discusses topics such as upholstery design and scale of style.  

Carol Dougherty is a shining example of the  greatness of each and every member of the Gallery Furniture buying  team - all of them insightful and a joy to work with with their style and their observations into the various styles of the customer demographics of the world's greatest customers.  This valuable insight is something that has been flowing freely to the core vendors of Gallery Furniture as well as the staffers of Gallery Furniture.

Mark from In Room Designs thanks Mattress Mack

Gallery Furniture, about two weeks prior to leaving for the beautiful High Point Market (the furniture industry's largest and greatest showcasing of home furniture and accent / accessories in the world), received some interesting concerns about bringing the world's greatest customers to the High Point Market.  

The questions were raised: What will the customers get to see?  Will they be allowed to learn industry pricing? And so on, and so forth.  The most interesting thing has been not just the fact that these customers have been received with not just open arms, but with high-energy enthusiasm and a constant cacophany of "this is the greatest idea ever" and "this is innovative and it makes the most sense, I do not know why we did not invite them before!"

Below, one vendor, Mark from In Room Designs, insisted on thanking Mattress Mack personally, so the Gallery Furniture High Point Team was only too happy to oblige.

And thanks to Mark from In Room Designs for his warm-hearted and kind thanks to Mack, as the Gallery Furniture High Point Market team has been so well-received that it's been a joy not just to be at Market but to get greeted with open arms and for the team to receive free educational lessons from various vendors on topics ranging from dovetail joinery to upholstered fabric terminology.

Great ideas are sometimes the ones that make the most sense that one never tried before.  That was the case here when Mattress Mack decided - hey, let's take the customers  to market.  After all, customers know best since they are the true end-users of the product, not the retail stores!

Carol Dougherty Goes Over her Children's Furniture Finds for Gallery Furniture

Gallery Furniture's great customers attending the High Point Market had a meeting about a week ago wherein they spoke with Mattress Mack himself and waxed strategy on the various items being sought after for Gallery Furniture, and one of those was some new and innovative ideas in children's furniture, especially since so much of what is seen these days can often be seen as the "same old same old." 

Gallery Furniture leads the way in innovation and finding exciting new products in the children's category lines, and to showcase that, see the exciting items that Gallery Furniture carries in the children's category such as Berg Furniture.

In the video below, Carol Dougherty, a member of the Gallery Furniture High Point Market Team, goes over a children's furniture find from In Room Furniture.

Gallery Furniture's customers are hard at work in the High Point Market, and the continued excitement is literally invigorating the industry.  It's been a benefit no matter what category - children's furniture, living room furniture, bedroom furniture, and more.  

One Thing You Like, The One Thing You Don't.

The Gallery Furniture High Point Market team consists of customers - picked from the world's greatest customers of Gallery Furniture - and they are now learning to be a part of the Gallery Furniture buying process, an awesomely fun task as these wonderful people learn the ins and outs of the furniture industry in new ways.  Adding excitement to the industry is just one of many goals of Gallery Furniture on this trip, with a primary focus being on keeping a customer centric focus on furniture.  You see, when it comes to carrying furniture, in the end, it is always about the customers.

So who better to pick what Gallery Furniture should carry than the world's greatest customers?  It was a no-brainer of a decision as Gallery Furniture moved forward to send these great folks to High Point, North Carolina for the world's largest furniture market.

Below, in video one, Lori Murphy speaks about a piece that she and some team members found at manunfacturer Jackson Furniture that they wanted to show Mattress Mackand the Gallery Furniture customers.  She goes from the very transitional living room sectional quickly to a recliner that she loves.

 

 

Video Two, below, shows a particular chair that, well, suffice it to say that Lori did not have as much enthusiasm for, and when asked why she wanted it uploaded, she responded "I wanted Gallery Furniture customers to know where I was coming from in my selection process - I have a method of doing things and how I look at everything, and I wanted folks to know my tastes."

 

 

A big thanks to Lori for giving us not only a find from the team at High Point of some beautiful living room furniture, but also to giving Gallery Furniture customers a window into how she has been looking at items.  That sort of transparency in thought pattern is respected at Gallery Furniture, since being customer-centric means putting all your cards on the table.

Gallery Furniture Customer Lori Murphy Recaps her Jonathan Louis Experience at High Point

Gallery Furniture customer Lori Murphy shares with everyone her collection likes over at Jonathan Louis, a line she became more familiar with on a late Friday afternoon visit to their showroom in beautiful High Point, North Carolina during the annual High Point Furniture Market (no officially in its 100th year).

"The first thing I noticed, Mack, was the gorgeous use of blue, and I mean that in every shade and color of blue.  Blue, for lack of a better word, is the hip thing this market, and I let Chris and Gil know that it seemed almost every nice piece that I viewed had some hint of blue in it - and I thought it would be nice for Gallery Furniture customers to know what the next trend is - and I wanted to show Houston what they could expect to see in terms of palettes and color schemes that will really start hitting the scene soon."

"I think Gallery Furniture customers will like what many manufacturers seem to have done this particular season is to bring the use of shades of blue and incorporate that with such a wide range of other colors that, at first glance, we might not think of.  Just look how the cute kidney pillows above sort of bring it all together."

"Again, the kidney pillows bring this look together for this set, I also love the fact that this set did not show a loveseat, chair, ottoman, etc. in the kid of traditional sense - I love this sofa and two chairs and cocktail ottoman combination.  Very light looking in terms of size, and as many of my fellow inner-loop Gallery Furniture Houstonians know, you are very tight on space inside the 610 Loop.  A set like this gives you lots of ways to move the seating around and not consuming a massive amount of floor space.  Heck, kill the cocktail ottoman and replace it with something a bit smaller, and you have a real space saver with plenty of comfy seating. "

Lori Murphy is happy to be a part of the Gallery Furniture High Point team, and she is enjoying her experience as a buyer, adding "you definitely don't like everything you see at High Point market, it can really overwhelm you - but what I like, I know I like an I do not dawdle.  Like it, know why I like it, and I move on - go, go, go!"

That is one thing Gallery Furniture loves, decisiveness.  Gallery Furniture is lucky to have great customers like Lori Murphy and the rest of the customers yurned buyers on the High Point Market trip.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!

 
World renowned  interior deisgner Bill Stubbs is coming to High Point, North Carolina as part of the Gallery Furniture buying team and he's bringing his ideas, his style, and his eye for all things beautiful to the Gallery Furniture High Point market team.

He's a hard-working member of the Gallery Furniture family, and Gallery Furniture is obviously honored to have him part of the High Point market team and the customers who have joined us as buyers are giddy with anticipation for his arrival today.  Personally, we all are awaiting Bill, and we can't wait.

Unassuming and down-to-earth Bill Stubbs is a designer who stays true to his Texas roots by being a gentleman and kind and always being a listener and understanding the needs of his clients.  In short, he shares Gallery Furniture values of being customer-centric and committed to bringing quality and improving your life through furniture and design.

Bill Stubbs will be here later, and we'll hear from him as the weekend goes on.  He'll be dining with the Gallery Furniture team later tonight.

Gallery Furniture is a proud sponsor of Bill Stubbs' show Moment of Luxury, which you can see on Houston's on KUHF PBS Channel 8.

Accent Chairs? Without a Doubt Says Debbie Spurr at High Point Market

 
Gallery Furniture Customer Debbie Spurr, Enjoys This Accent Chair and Ottoman at Largo (along with a Diet Coke!)

Gallery Furniture's great customer base represented the world's greatest furniture store in fabulous form at High Point Market, and during a visit to the Largo showroom, Debbie Spurr of Friendswood found this accent chair and ottoman.

"It really fits me - I'm short and the curves of the chair and ottoman really contoured in a way that was still comfortable and I loved it.  You don't find pieces like this often, and us short folks love to have the same comfort of our taller friends."

Taller, indeed.  Turns out that Gallery Furniture customer Carol Dougherty, a Houston home staging and apartment staging expert on the Gallery Furniture team at High Point, also loved this chair.  While Carol is no Yao Ming, she definitely towers over everyone on the Gallery Furniture team and she also loved the chair and ottoman combination shown above.

"Yes, it worked for me, too - and it was nice to see that it also worked for Debbie.  The best part of a piece like this is that it didn't take up too much room even though it looks like it does!"

Debbie added: "this kind of looks like that Drexel Heritage chair that Gallery Furniture had at Post Oak."  Nancy Burke of League City quickly chimed in with pride "I KNOW! I own that chair!"  Turns out that Nancy loves this style chair, and was quick to note how wonderful the design is, too.  Last word in on this conversation, though, went to Debbie who said "and the neat thing is, this chair gives you the same Drexel look at a price more reasonable for many Houstonians - it's a win-win for Gallery Furniture customers and for Gallery Furniture to have in the mix."
 

"Here's my Ty Pennington Set!" says Gallery Furniture's Nancy Shaddock

 
Gallery Furniture has two Nancys on this High Point trip.  Gallery Furniture is very much blessed to have them both on as buyers, and Nancy Shaddock was quick to point out one thing - "as a mom and community volunteer, I don't have a lot of time, so the Ty Pennington line Gallery Furniture is going to carry works for me."  Shaddock quickly added when she looked up with a smile "I mean, EXCLUSIVELY carry!"

Why so excited?  Because this exciting new line of furniture available in Houston exclusively at Gallery Furniture is designed to be customer-centric, keeping in line with the Gallery Furniture core belief.  And for folks like Nancy, speed is essential since her time is short.

"I want Mack to know that for me, this makes my life so much easier, and this set that I love shows other Houstonians why - already coordinated, already put together by a man I think every woman LOVES, you see it, you buy it, and I know that Gallery Furniture will deliver it."

"Another thing is, women trust Ty - we really do, and we you see how he coordinates on his television shows and then see what he does here with these pieces, you just know it will work in your home because we already connect with Ty Pennington."

 
Nancy Shaddock can't wait for the full array of pieces to showcase at Gallery Furniture to show up - she's ready to se them in the showroom soon, and she knows other Gallery Furnitrue customers are, too!

"I want to thank Mack for his sending me on this High Point Market trip, and I am happy to have previewed this collection for the Gallery Furniture customer!"

Gallery Furniture is excited, too, since this look will be something  that will engage the customer base and be brought to Houston with the same customer-centric focus and eye on saving money, adding value, and of, course delivering your lovely new Ty Pennington collection manufactured by Howard Miller... TODAY!

Ottoman, Please! Lori Murphy Tests Out an Accent Chair for Gallery Furniture

Architect and designer Lori Murphy of Houston's boutique Harison Kornberg Architecture firm is among Gallery Furniture's great customers who are among the buying team who decended on High Point Market.  Lori enjoyed various accent chairs in Largo, and she wanted to let the Gallery Furniture customers reading the blog know she does love an ottoman, and wanted to show Mack that those persons of average height do love a good ottoman.

"Great place to prop the feet up and room for your pet to curl up so you don't get the lap heat that can be generated by a cat in your lap!  And also, great for reading and just enjoying a day inside.  It was nice to see these smaller footprint accent chairs at Largo have ottomans!  Always a nice touch."

 
Lori gave her best serious face pose, and loved this ottoman to accompany an accent chair as carried by Largo Furniture, a Gallery Furniture vendor that shares the TODAY philosophy of Gallery Furniture.

Lori and her husband are throwing their home in the ring for an AIA Houston Home Tour - the home should be finished and built in two years and she said that "I want Mattress Mack to know that I WILL BE coming to Gallery Furniture to completely decorate the new house and all of Houston will be able to tour the home and see beautiful Gallery Furniture pieces EVERYWHERE!"
 

When Opinions Collide - Largo Visit Brings Out Diversity

The Gallery Furniture High Point market team, which is composed (for the first time in High Point Market history of any retailer doing so) of customers.  And not just any customers, but the world's greatest customers, those of Gallery Furniture - the world's greatest furniture store. 

(Second Floor Photo of the Largo Showroom)

Earlier in the day, the love of all things in the Ty Pennington Collection (an exclusive to be carried by Gallery Furniture and manufactured by Howard Miller) gave way to a vast array of opinions in the Largo Showroom.  The Largo Showroom was two blocks away from the IHFC building, and while the excited mood generated by the Ty Pennington line was very much alive and well as the team left the Howard Miller showroom, it was in Largo that the beauty of different opinions came to light.

Viewing a traditional Largo bedroom group, you can start to see the divergent reactions in the faces of the Gallery Furniture customers.

While some of the great Gallery Furniture team sat and listened to the Largo rep go over a counter height dining table, others fanned out, finding THEIR furniture.

Gallery Furniture's customers at High Point Market absorbing the various pieces at Largo Furniture - a company carried by Gallery Furniture due to their wide array of categories such as living room, dining room, bedroom furniture as well as upholstery and leather and accent chairs.

Gallery Furniture is all about commitment to finding the latest and greatest, and with customers as buyers this means that a new set of eyes, unbiased and unfettered by industry bias.  Given the selection process of these great customers, it was only a matter of time before the beautiful prism of colors that are personalities and opinions came forth to make the decision making process a bit more involved.

 
Lori Murphy loved these "Crate-and-Barrel" style French country dining group chairs because they add color, Valerie found them to be a bit too much in that style line for her particular taste.

 
Valerie shows a contemporary piece that she stepped out of her comfort zone for at Largo, even saying that while this was not normally something she would say appeals to her, she sees the overall appeal and look for Gallery Furniture customers.  

From a unanimous cheer of approval of the Ty Pennington line, with its Crate-and-Barrel and Pottery Barn look with a serious injection of quality and value injected above and beyond those big box stores... to the core groups carried at Gallery Furniture by Largo creating divergent reactions, the day was filled with a truly live customer panel.

 
While looking at a dresser/mirror combination, no matter what the opinion on the piece, Gallery Furniture customers benefit from a Largo lesson on dovetail joinery and the differences in various styles of joints.


Nancy Burke stands next to a piece loved by Nancy Shaddock - despite the two having a different opinion on this bedroom piece, Burke helps Shaddock with a photo to showcase a sense of scale.  It's all about teamwork with Gallery Furniture.

Whether it was something as simple as finish - "that finish simply won't work here" versus "I think that finish on that Largo piece is actually very nice" - or something as complex as the total look and feel of a particular collection ("that doesn't really grab me as something folks like me would like" to "I need to say I find that piece gorgeous") the opinions flowed like a dam whose waters have been released after being held back for too long against the will of nature.

And oh, what a beautiful sight it was.  Buyer Chris Etheredge of Gallery Furniture seed the opportunity, grabbing the exchange of commentary and using it to gain knowledge for the Gallery Furniture process.  "It was good to see them finally disagreeing," said Chris, "you have to have something more than unanimous agreement on everything - and I think we all agree on how wonderful the exclusive Ty Pennington line at Gallery Furniture will be - but you HAVE to have differences for us all to learn."

Indeed.  God painted many colors on the rainbow, and the beauty in the rainbow is the sum of those colors.  Just like the different colors of that rainbow.... personal observations and the flow of opinions will bring beauty from diversity.  Gallery Furniture's wonderful High Point market team has such a great dynamic that they were able to discuss variances in that opinion and share those observations with Martha Kologinczak, Chris, and Gil and grow the knowledge of Gallery Furniture staff.  Remember, you are never too old to learn, and Gallery Furniture was learning a lot from these wonderful rookie buyers at High Point Market.

A Bedroom Find in High Point by Gallery Furniture Team Member Teri Zepeda

Gallery Furniture's market team had made their way over to the Largo Furniture showroom in historic downtown High Point, North Carolina during the High Point Market.  Interestingly enough, the Largo Furniture company occupied an old historic theater building near the center of downtown High Point (a place where Elvis once played many moons ago).  A few of the Gallery Furniture customers who had been selected by Gallery Furniture to attend the High Point Market as buyers were going through the showroom had seen this piece, and while not every one of them liked this bedroom (there can never be complete consensus in any group dynamic), Teri Zepeda wanted to shoot this on behalf of the few that fell in love with this Jaclyn Smith line of furniture by Largo.

 

 

Ty Pennington Furniture Videos from Gallery Furniture Customers

The Gallery Furniture customers selected for High Point Market, part of the world's greatest customer base, chose to do some videos showcases on the exclusive Ty Pennington pieces from Howard Miller soon to be available for the world's greatest customers.  Gallery Furniture's High Point Market Team chose some of their pieces that they liked for Mattress Mack.

Here they are, starting with a succinct video from Carol Dougherty on an overview, then two by Nancy Burke and a walk-in reality shot of Teri Zepeda while she was discussing one of the pieces she liked.

 

 

 

 

Great to see all these wonderful Gallery Furniture customers as part of the High Point Market Team.  Their dedication to the task, the love of the Ty Pennington collection coming exclusively to Gallery Furniture, and their enjoyment of the Howard Miller quality and great prices able to pass on to the Gallery Furniture customer. 

The Gallery Furniture Ty Pennington Experience at High Point Market

 
Gallery Furniture customers got to walk through the upcoming Gallery Furniture exclusive Ty Pennington line coming to Gallery Furniture for the world's greatest customers.  Jim Davis, the Gallery Furniture Howard Miller rep, was delighted to showcase the over 68 packages that comprise the entirety of the Ty Pennington line to the Gallery Furniture team of buyers (composed of Gallery Furniture's great customers).

The number seemed overwhelming at first, a fact not lost on the crowd as you could see on their faces that the sheer volume of pieces - even with their breathtaking beauty, fabulous configurations, and wonderfully dressed up room settings - was a bit intimidating at first.  Gallery Furniture customers do love to shop with an eye on speed - after all, Gallery Furniture is all about the customer and getting them the furniture they bought with their hard earned money TODAY.  Now was the Howard Miller Ty Pennington Line at Gallery Furniture going to be something cumbersome, or was it something fun and easy to go through?

Quick answer:  fun and easy and beautiful.  Turns out the Ty Pennington Line at Gallery Furniture is so easy to mix and match, that the nine wonderful ladies that accompanied Gallery Furniture to High Point as a buying team were overjoyed by the fact that you could easily take a room as it is shown - a total home solution - or you could mix a piece from one set to another because Ty Pennington designed the system for flawless, effortless combining.

One thing Gallery Furniture truly loves is innovation and style - and the Ty Pennington line from Howard Miller provides both with an eye to making a purchase nearly effortless for the world's greatest customers.

 

From travertine topped nightstands, sofa tables, cedar lined understorage on beds, to sofas and accent chairs that have upholstery covers whose texture is an artform in and of itself... the Ty Pennington line by Howard Miller (soon to be an exclusive line at Gallery Furniture) has everything a customer wants.  From a transitional feel that blends effortlessly in any Houston home (from suburban home to downtown Houston loft to a small Midtown apartment) to a color scheme that allows a Gallery Furniture customer to pop colors into the neutral patterns without overkill.

Gallery Furniture Customer Nancy Burke on Howard Miller Clocks

[Reporting: Gallery Furniture Customer Nancy Burke]

Hi Mack, this is Nancy Burke (the other Nancy on the trip, I know you saw Nancy Shaddock's video yesterday from Coaster!) and I wanted to showcase some clocks I saw just before I went over to the Ty Pennington line here at High Point Market.  And also, to say thanks for sending me on the trip, this has been a wonderful experience so far - and it's only the second day! 

First, I want to tell you why I love clocks so much.  Clocks are a very versatile and essential part of home furnishings and design.  I know Gallery Furniture carries Howard Miller floorclocks and curio cabinets, and I personally own a Howard Miller clock in my League City home, and having grown up in a house that treasured all manner of clocks, I understand how to use them in the home.

Mack, I would love for Gallery Furniture to first take a look at this clock, below, which is a banjo-styled clock with a distressed wood pattern. 

I think the above clock will be able to fit into any style home - its transitional look serves either as a clash eclectic pattern in a Houston loft or urban setting, and it can fit snugly in a cute traditional home.  These banjo clocks also have a very antique look that blends with anything - you could even it any similar wood-finished Ty Pennington lines from Howard Miller.  That is the best part of the distressing pattern on these clocks.  Personally, I love this clock and I believe it would be at home at Gallery Furniture - especially for the suburban Houston customers who want a nice blend of styles.

What is really nice about Howard Miller floorclocks (and, by the way Mack, they no longer want us to call them "grandfather clocks" - we are now supposed to call them "floor clocks" so they do not alienate the millennials from clocks, but I still like to call them grandfather clocks because that is how I was raised). 

 
Above, this is a gorgeous Ty Pennington floor clock - I really think Gallery Furniture should carry this clock for a couple of reasons - one, the customers who love clocks and are younger will not be put off by the super ornate styles of a traditional grandfather clock, and second it just goes well with all the Ty Pennington pieces with its clean lines.  Gallery Furniture is already set to carry the Ty Pennington line, and this grandfather clock will be the perfect accompanying piece for that crowd.

 
Okay, so the above is not a floor clock or grandfather clock, this is a mantle clock.  Now I know that this may not be something that Gallery Furniture likes to carry, though these antique looking pieces are great for those who may want a traditional family heirloom without it having to take a lot of space that a floor or grandfather clock would take.  I love this piece, it would be nice for Gallery Furniture to carry mantle clocks, though it is a niche piece.

That was it for me Mack, wanted to show you and Gallery Furniture these ideas before we move to the Ty Pennington stuff.

First Stop on Day 2 of High Point Market - Howard Miller

[Reporting by Gil]

(The Wonderful Gallery Furniture Team of Great Customers - now Buyers - at Howard Miller)

Gallery Furniture's High Point Market team spent their first stop at Howard Miller to showcase the new Ty Pennington line to be exclusively found in Houston at Gallery Furniture.  These customers were excited to start their second day at High Point Market with learning more about the furniture industry and getting excited about upcoming lines of furniture to be carried at the world's greatest furniture store, Gallery Furniture. 

First up was a quick lesson in the values of Howard Miller's corporate philosophy and their commitment to providing high quality and great value to Gallery Furniture's customers and how they had their humble beginnings as a maker of floor and grandfather clocks as well as curio cabinets.  Howard Miller shares another value that Gallery Funriture cares about - the fact that this furniture is made in the USA with an eye towards quality and craftsmanship.  Gallery Furniture is always looking to support this great country's hardworking individuals, and one way to do that is by supporting quality American craftsmanship products that can be delivered to the world's greatest customers.

 
(Gallery Furniture Howard Miller Rep Jim Davis gives a lesson on quality, value, and construction with the great Gallery Furniture buying team) 

Once finished with the lesson, the Gallery Furniture customers designated as buyers with the Gallery Furniture team started to get a lesson in a line of furniture that Gallery Furniture will be carrying soon in the future - the exclusive line of Ty Pennington by Howard Miller. 

Next up - Nancy Burke, a Gallery Furniture customer (now on the High Point Buying Team) wants to take a minute to wax philosophical about floorclocks and how they make a house... a home.

Gallery Furniture Customers Want Mack to Know...

These customers found stuff they liked all right, and on the first stop of the day, Coaster Corporation. Many Gallery Furniture customers are familiar with Coaster's products available for same day delivery.  Well, these great Gallery Furniture customers found some products they had to tell Mack about during their first few hours at High Point.

And what better way than through the magic of video?

Just goes to show that these great Gallery Furniture customers are in the spirit at High Point Market, and you can view these videos - and more - at the official Gallery Furniture YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/galleryfurnitureblog TODAY!

Gallery Furniture Customer Teri Zepeda Networks FAST for High Point

 
Teri Zepeda networks on the plane to find furniture for Gallery Furniture to carry!

[Reporting: Gil]

When Gallery Furniture says TODAY - the customers get in the spirit of things in a big way.  Teri Zepeda, one of the great Gallery Furniture customers selected to go with Gallery Furniture to beautiful High Point, North Carolina for the world's largest furniture market, wanted Mattress Mack to see she was hard at work on the plane. 

Teri exhibited a series of traits that the world's greatest furniture store, Gallery Furniture, loves to smile upon - resourcefulness, following your instincts, and always having a pen and paper to write on.  Turns out that Teri was the talk of her row on the Embraer 170 plane from Charlotte to Greensboro.  She realized quickly she was surrounded by furniture manufacturers, and they realized through listening to her she was with the world's greatest furniture store, Gallery Furniture, and with that came the symphony of business cards, contacts, and phone numbers telling her to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come visit their lines at High Point.  No pad of paper?  No problem.  She used the back of her check register. 

More interesting was that this was all accomplished in the short hop (a twenty minute puddle jump) and even one Interior Decorator from the West Coast adding to the mix "Wow, this is highly inventive - and it makes sense to me.  Bring the customer to market.  I see all this as product I see over and over again, but what a way to bring a connection with the consumer.  Brilliant in its simplicity and innovation, well done for Gallery Furniture."

Gallery Furniture is all about innovation and being consumer-centric.  And kudos to Teri for kicking it off.

Gallery Furniture Customers Make the Rounds at High Point

[Reporting by: Gil]

The team of Gallery Furniture took some time today to visit vendors that are familiar to the world's greatest customers of Gallery Furniture.  The enthusiasm level was high with the customers selected to become Team Buyers with Gallery Furniture, as the assembled group descended upon manufacturers such as Crown Mark and Coaster.  First off was a visit with Sue of Crown Mark, who wanted to say "Hi" to Mattress Mack and she was very excited to meet the team of great Gallery Furniture customers selected as buyers during the High Point Market Trip.

 
The Gallery Furniture High Point Market Team with Sue of Crown Mark
 

Since this is a first in furniture retail history, it was important to send these rookie buyers right on in - which is the Gallery Furniture way, of course - and start with an understanding of the way Gallery Furniture does business: with a customer centric focus, an eye on quality and value, and a commitment from everyone (vendors and staffers alike) to that one small word whose five letters are the heart, soul, and backbone of everything Gallery Furniture does... TODAY.

TODAY is more than a word to Gallery Furniture.  It's a way of life, it's a reason to strive for excellence, it's a part of a culture fostered to create unparalleled customer service at the world's greatest furniture store.  And now it was high time that these great Gallery Furniture customers (part of the buying team at High Point) learned the ropes. 

Helping them along, in his unassuming manner and nearly Plato-esque method of teaching, was Bruce Axner of Coaster Corporation (make sure to check out the Manufacturer Page of GalleryFurniture.com to learn all the beautiful products carried by Coaster at Gallery Furniture and ready for immediate delivery to your Houston home).  Bruce discussed the ins and outs of the manufacturer side in the Gallery Furniture way: to the point, directly, succinctly, and in a way that promoted knowledge and generated excitement about the furniture industry. 

 
Bruce Axner (yellow shirt on right) Gives a Crash Course on Coaster

So, up, up and away went the Gallery Furniture customers to the top floor of Coaster on Commerce street in downtown High Point to work their way down the massive expanses of living room, dining room, accessories, bedroom furniture, and home office furniture.  They poked, they prodded, they asked questions of the Coaster staff and most importantly, they began their glorious journey into the world of furniture.  A journey so infused with enthusiasm by each team member that reminded Chris, Martha and myself of the joy of a child's face as they walk into a toy store and are told "okay, go get whatever you want."

Indeed, they sparked a fire in each of us - and renewed for these Gallery Furniture staffers a passion that one can often let subside in the business-relations or product-selection side.  This excitement drew smiles from each of us, and with that came an invigorating sense of purpose and love for an industry that we were oh so happy to embrace with them - and the best part is that it was born of the fountain of customer centricity.

Perspectives - Blogging about High Point Market from 30,000 ft

[Report by: Gil]

(above, Carol Dougherty and Patricia Brinkner lean in for a photo)
 

Sadly, there is no WiFi on this flight, so when this is posted, the 8:50 a.m. Gallery Furniture team would have safely arrived at Greensboro, NC – following in the footsteps of the 7:05 flight headed by Chris Etheredge, a seasoned Gallery Furniture buyer.

Blogging from this height gives one perspective, the view of the clouds moving below the plane a near ballet of beauty in nature – in fact, the clouds feel just what a wonderful Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic feels like – like sleeping on a cloud.  Speaking of sleep, I didn’t get too much of it last night because I was excited awaiting the trip – lots of packing, checking the laptop, and so on.  Many of the other wonderful Gallery Furniture customers who are going on this flight were much the same way – it was a chorus of excitement at Gate A17 at Bush Intercontinental this morning as we awaited our US Airways flight that would take the Gallery Furniture customers to High Point Market.

Carol Dougherty, a local property manager and real estate guru known for her home staging in Houston, was asking every member of the team “What will you be looking for?” and “What products do you hope to find for Gallery Furniture?”  This type of go-go-go spirit is a cornerstone of Gallery Furniture, and it’s great to see it in our wonderful customers like Carol.

Another great Gallery Furniture customer, Nurse Teri, was tired from having had to run to and fro College Station to help a family member yesterday, not finishing her packing til 3 a.m. she said – “And I’m glad to be here, and excited about the trip!” she said with a beaming smile on her face that spoke volumes about the whole group’s excitement for going to High Point Market. 

Earlier today I met Martha Kologinczak, a veteran Gallery Furniture staffer, this morning at the Starbuck’s in Terminal A, we went over some last minute details and shared some laughs, had some coffee together (and more coffee) as we enjoyed discussing trips past once the matters of business had been attended to.  Martha is stalwart friend, and a great co-worker – she is one of the many reasons that folks that work for Gallery Furniture can call each other family as well, and why it’s such a blessing to work at the world’s greatest furniture store, serving the world’s greatest customers.  Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life, and that is so very true.

Reflecting on the dynamic group of people that Gallery Furniture has selected for the customer buying trip to High Point, I cannot help but smile as we pass over the world’s greatest country – the United States of America .

Now if only they made Tempur-Pedic Sleep Seats on planes!

From left to right below, Teri Zepeda, Patricia Brinker, Martha Kolo, Gil Velasquez, and Carol Dougherty.

Gallery Furniture is off to High Point!

 
Good bye, Space City, USA! 

Howdy and good morning Houston from the Gallery Furniture buying team blog – the team having been selected with a beautifully rich and diverse set of folks represented a great cross section of Gallery Furniture’s great customers.  Architects, designers, home stagers, a nurse, a photographer, and more from all corners of the great Houston area have joined the Gallery Furniture expedition to the world’s largest furniture market in High Point, North Carolina.

A big thanks to Mack for sending us Gallery Furniture staffers with these wonderful customers who will be an additional set of eyes, ears, laughs, and smiles as they pick what furniture they want to see Gallery Furniture carry and provide Gallery Furniture with a customer perspective.

The team spirit was well in motion this morning with a morning text from Debbie Spurr and Nancy Burke asking if I’d like to carpool with them since they were trying to get as many people in on the team to together before the flight.  I said thanks, that was very sweet, though that was not necessary- they insisted and wanted to start off with a team energy, and I said sure thing.  And it turned out to be a beautiful morning commute to Bush Intercontinental Airport, a fun morning commute I will not forget.

Turns out that Debbie Spurr’s brother-in-law was the gentleman who composed and played the famous “Linus and Lucy” theme of Peanuts fame!  Likewise, I got to hear from Nancy Burke about her love of teaching in the Friendswood independent school district, and they were excited to be  on the trip, and were so thankful for Mack sending them, and Nancy already had been making schedules and mapping out her interests and she said, very matter of factly, that her and Debbie were here “to make Gallery Furniture customers happy and make Mack proud of us!”

Sadly, they were on the flight before mine, so as we got to the airport, we parted ways in Terminal A and I went to have a staple that I am known for, my infamous love of all things Starbucks. 

I sit and await the rest of the great Gallery Furniture customers coming with us to High Point, North Carolina – all over a delicious Venti bold and a cheese Danish (and yes, I know,  I need to lose weight).  We are first Charlotte bound before a small hop to Raleigh, and soon the Gallery Furniture team will be hitting the ground running in High Point North Carolina with our great Gallery Furniture team.
Thanks, Mack! 

All before flight time - Gallery Furniture always travels high tech... TODAY!
 

What Do You Pay for Comfort?

 
Ernie R. of Houston bought a Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic sleep set about two Saturdays ago and his family is already singing the praises of the world's greatest miracle mattress.  "Let me back up a bit and give you a history of what we have gone through," Ernie said, "first, we had a Simmons mattress that we bought and I'm just gonna say it - that thing was not worth a crap.  After that we got one of those spin-off memory mattresses, you know, at an alternate store.  That didn't work, either."

Turns out that Ernie's wife was bearing the worst of the bad night's sleep.  "My wife has a very stressful job, and I mean very stressful - she has back aches, neck aches, a knot in her shoulder that won't go away.  It had gotten to the point where she is so stiff and the pain was so bad that when she turned in her seat in the car she had to maneuver her whole body to check blind spots."

Ernie felt bad, because he had felt that he tried everything - "You start trying everything because this is the woman you love, and so it visits to the chiropractor, professional deep tissue massages, the heat massages, heating pads, the whole thing.  Finally we went to Gallery Furniture and got a Tempur-Pedic that Saturday when enough was enough."

Turns out they were pleased starting with the delivery of their Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic, before they even had gotten a night's sleep in it.  "Let me tell you, we bought it on a Saturday and got it that same night - and I am glad that I had the Gallery Furniture delivery team put it together, because that thing was a beast to assemble.  There was no way I could do it, and the Gallery Furniture guys did it fast."

And now, two weeks later, how is everything at Ernie's house with their Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic?

"My wife is so happy, and that makes me happy - she sleeps through the night.  The neck pain?  That's gone.  The knot in the shoulder?  That's gone.   Shoulder pains? Those are gone.  I mean, she sleeps through the night without waking up once, and that's great.  The bed is fantastic!"

Ernie did have one last passing thought on the Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic, one to share with his great fellow Gallery Furniture customers.  "I thought to myself, man, this is a lot to pay for a mattress - it really just, wow, it's a lot.  But when you sit and think about it - what DO you pay for comfort?"

Gallery Furniture Causes a Stir!

 
A recent article in Furniture Today (the furniture industry's trade publication) caused quite a stir for some folks in High Point, North Carolina.  High Point is the site of the world's largest furniture market - this year being held from October 16 through the 21st in hundreds, if not thousands, of showrooms in the city of High Point.  Turns out this particular showcase is closed to the public, so much so that you'll often see signs posted that say things like "Open to the Trade Only" everywhere you go in High Point.

The Furniture Today web site had posted an article that let everyone know that Gallery Furniture was bringing a huge team to the High Point October Market in 2009 - a team that was built on five to six Gallery Furniture staff members, and then NINE GREAT GALLERY FURNITURE CUSTOMERS!  Imagine sending your best customers to market so that, as buyers, they and similar customers can relate to - it all seemed simple to me - let the customers pick what they want!  I only wished Gallery Furniture had thought about this customer-centric idea earlier.

Much to my surprise, I received a call from people in High Point saying that execs were upset - yes, upset - that Gallery Furniture was bringing our great customers to the market.   I told them - you guys need to get it: the furniture business is stagnant right now because of the housing situation and this is a great way to get customers jazzed up, fired up, get crunk on, get wild, hyped up, and excited about our great products!  My vision is for customers to have a giant hand in choosing the products that Gallery Furniture sells - after all, the ones that are buying the furniture.  The executives then said "We never looked at the issue that way!"

At Gallery Furniture, we look at every issue from the customer's perspective - and boy, oh boy - are we excited about the team of nine extra pairs of eyes going to the High Point Market to discover great new products for all Gallery Furniture customers.   With Gallery Furniture being all about the customers, then our great customers going to market with us is a thrilling prospect for us all.

Sorry if we caused a stir among the High Point executives, but yes, we are trying to stir something up - we're trying to stir up new business and who could be better to excite the furniture business better than the great Gallery Furniture customers?  Stay tuned for the daily blogs from the field by the Gallery Furniture customers advancing on High Point Market!  Gallery Furniture knows that this will be fun and exciting!

YES!

 
(Big pieces upstairs? YES!)

Yes is the answer Gallery Furniture customers are most likely to hear.  Gallery Furniture is in business to say "YES" to customer's special (and sometimes unusual) requests.  Gallery Furniture has prospered because of customer support, so saying YES! to customers is in the Gallery Furniture DNA. 

YES, Gallery Furniture can deliver your new living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture to your Memorial Area home and them move your previous Gallery Furniture set to your Galveston condo all within the same-day delivery time frame.  YES, Gallery Furniture can deliver your brand new Tempur-Pedic Adjustable King Sleep Set to your home in The Woodlands within two hours because dad is coming home from the hospital after a knee replacement - all when the other stores said NO WAY!  Guess what, YES, Gallery Furniture can haul-off your old sofa, loveseat, mattress, or recliner. 

(Can Gallery Furniture Decorate?  YES!) 

YES, Gallery Furniture can deliver after 8PM tonight or before noon tomorrow.  YES, Gallery Furniture's world-class decorators can come to your house for a consultation and help you to create the home of your dreams.   YES, Gallery Furniture can move your previous bedroom suite upstairs (fully re-assembled and arranged as you like) before we put your new bedroom suite together.   Gallery Furniture wants your furniture and electronics buying experience to be fast, fun, and easy for you - this is why Gallery Furniture says YES!

Thank God for Customers

 
Thank God for customers says it all.  At Gallery Furniture, we constantly remind ourselves in word and deed that the sole reason for our being is to delight great customers - the world's greatest customers - like you 24 / 7 / 365, and that's all we are here for.  The hundreds of Gallery Furniture staff members, vendors, and their families are all being paid every week because - and only because - of customers buying furniture and electronics at Gallery Furniture

All of us at Gallery Furniture, from employees to vendors, want to say a big THANK YOU every day for your confidence in Gallery Furniture.  You voted for Gallery Furniture with your purchase and our mission is to exceed to your expectations with world class products and services every day.  Too often in the business news today the big news is about profits, shareholders and return on investment - and these matrices are certainly important.

However the only matrix for any business that really matters are happy, delighted customers who will refer you and buy more.  If customers are happy, and they buy more, and they refer business to you , and sales go up, then it stands to reason that profits will go up, shareholder value will all rise, and so on. 

This is why I remind myself every day: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS, STUPID!

Gallery Furniture - Same Day Delivery, and Here's How.

 
Customers who buy furniture at Gallery Furniture are constantly asking us: "Can Gallery Furniture really deliver my furniture and electronics tonight?"

 
The answer, unequivocally, is yes - and here a few reasons why the answer is always YES to you at Gallery Furniture.  First and foremost, Gallery Furniture is totally customer-centric - we believe if you spend your money today, then your selection should be in your house tonight - no exceptions.  Secondly, Gallery Furniture is set-up logistically to accomplish same-day delivery.  This is what we live for - delighting you, the world's greatest customers and delivering furniture & electronics to your home TODAY!

Simply put - the merchandise is in the store, the order execution is quick, the warehouse will have the product pulled, assembled, and loaded in minutes.  And a few short hours later, your product will be in your home tonight.  Fast, fast, and fast - this is how Gallery Furniture rolls.

 
Don't settle for backorder slips and broken promises - buy your furniture, electronics, and home theater seating at Gallery Furniture today, and save money at Gallery Furniture today… and it's always delivered tonight!  Gallery Furniture is all about delighting you each and every day by delivering to your home your great furniture and electronics TODAY!

As a customer just called and told me on the phone: "Gallery Furniture lives up to everything you and say and you do it better than anyone else!"

Gallery Furniture Honored by Houston Fire Department Honor Guard

(From Left: Mike Smith, Mattress Mack, Tom Atkinson, and Jim Wathen) 

Gallery Furniture is very thankful for the brave men and women of the Houston Fire Department, these heroes run in to a situation when so many of us are running away from it, and they risk their very lives in the process.  Often, folks forget just how hard these folks work day-in and day-out, so a while back, about a week after the first Grand Opening on 07.04.09 at Gallery Furniture, when Tommy Atkinson of the Houston Fire Department's Honor Guard told me about his need to take the Houston Fire Honor Guard to annual International Association of Fire Fighters convention, I said Gallery Furniture would be happy to help.

Serving in the Houston Fire Department's Honor Guard is an emotionally tough job.  The firefighters composing the unit serve in funerals, perform the pipe and drum ceremonies at the Houston Firefighters Memorial, and many of their members accompany the casket of a fallen comrade as a constant reminder that the fallen firefighter is not alone.  They will be with the fallen comrade's family and will walk the final steps of procession to internment, a humble and silent reminder that this a true fraternal order - an order many of us know little of, and can only begin to imagine the depths of.  These individuals are heroes is every sense of the word.

For it is their dedication to the job and task at hand that shines day in and day out in Houston.  Gallery Furniture remembers that heroism, as the night of May 21st, the gallant crews of the 31 Houston fire stations that responded to the Gallery Furniture warehouse fire saved the showroom, allowing Gallery Furniture to have an optimistic and bright future in light of the tragedy that occurred.  So, sending the dedicated firefighters of the HFD Honor Guard to Colorado Springs for an assembly of firefighters from all over the United States and Canada to honor all men and women who passed away in the line of duty the year before seemed the least Gallery Furniture could do to thank these brave souls.

The HFD Honor Guard was thankful to Gallery Furniture, and they surprised us with a certificate of appreciation from Mike Smith, Tommy Atkinson, and Jim Wathen, whose combined years of service totals 85 years - a testament to the longevity of the bond  that ties these men together.  They shared their story with us, saying that the donation given allowed them to be with their fellow brethren in a place of worship, respect, and love - where they could honor all firefighters of this great continent together, along with the families of the fallen.

Tommy Atkinson did want us to know, the Honor Guard is more than just a unit in times of memorials or crisis.  "There are many other events the HFD Honor Guard has been asked to do, such as serving as a pipe and drums during valor awards, or at the Mass for the Firefighters, even local high school graduations."  Indeed, Gallery Furniture learned there was much to these men who perform many of these actions on their own off-duty time.  This spirit of commitment, love of fellow man, and drive to give back to the community are all values shared by Gallery Furniture, and we thank the men and women of the HFD Honor Guard for giving back to their own Department as well as to the general public.

A warm thanks to Tommy Atkinson, Mike Smith, Jim Wathen and the entire body of the HFD Honor Guard as well as the Houston Fire Department for all they do, day in and day out.  All of you are true heroes.

To learn more about the Houston Honor Guard, visit their website by clicking HERE. 

 
(From Left: Mattress Mack, Mike Smith, Armando Martinez, Andrea Schaeffer,  Tom Atkinson, Ernest Hines, and Jim Wathen)
 

Micro-Sculptor Artist Willard Wigan Stopped by Gallery Furniture

 
His art fits on the head of the pin or even in the eye of a needle, and in a state like Texas where everything is big, that may seem like an odd thing to be amazed by, but folks, the Gallery Furniture team was more than impressed by the work of art he brought in to show us.  We were all simply blown away with what we saw by a very quiet, nice man named Willard Wigan.

 

The funny thing was, the Gallery Furniture team needed a microscope to see it.  You read that right, a microscope.  The artwork of Britain's own Willard Wigan is so small, that all you really can see is the pin or the needle where his artwork resides. 

So, yes, it was an odd thing indeed when Willard Wigan showed up at Gallery Furniture, none of us knowing who he was, him and a couple of his friends with a stand that was about four feet high, had a glass bulb with a standard industry/lab grade microscope sticking out of the top and inside the glass bulb were two LED lights shining on a head of a pin with a diamond.  Looked like something right off a 50's sci-fi movie, not art.

 
Then Willard asked each of us to first look into the glass bulb at the pin that clearly had a diamond on it, after a second Willard then said: "Now, do take a look through the micrsoscope."  His polite English accent delivered the command in that British way that made you feel as if you didn't do exactly that, then you were committing some sort of societal faux pas, but beyond that was the intrigue and curiosity - it's a pin, you see a diamond, what more?  And when you peered down the industry grade microsope, there, standing on the top of the diamond, was a miniature sculpted University of Texas Longhorn - yup, you read that right, BEVO himself was sculpted, masterfully painted at the micro scale including muscle lines, horns, eyes, everything.  On the top of the diamond, with room to spare no less.  As if BEVO himself was roaming on a set of Texas plains made of nothing but diamond.

One of the Aggies on staff here at Gallery Furniture had this to say when he took a gander down the microscope: "As much as I am not a fan of anything Longhorn, that truly is a work of art and the most amazing thing I have ever seen" and he then quickly turned to Willard and said "I would love to see a collie chasing the longhorn."  While the joke may have been lost on the British team that came with Willard Wigan, Gallery Furniture staffers got it and got a great chuckle out of it.

Unfiortunately, due to the fact that the staff did not have a microscope fitting camera attachment, Gallery Furniture was unable to catch the beauty of this fine work of art.

Staff and customers lined up to see just what all the ruckus was about, and while Willard Wigan ran through his explanation of how he started by designing furniture for ants as a child to help him personally deal with dyslexia and learning disabilities, and his micro art never stopped and got more intricate and beautiful as he went on.

He's been featured as a guest speaker for TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) and the video he made, explaining everything from how he has to hold his breath and slow his pulse down to properly make micro-sculpture (and Gallery Furniture staff and customers were amazed at how he even uses an eyelash to paint with, let alone the level detail he put into the microscopic BEVO piece), can be found by clicking HERE (note, this is a 20 minute video).

Mr. Willard Wigan is a testament to the human spirit and he definitely shows the Gallery Furniture quality of "If it is to be, it is up to me" as he overcame his difficulties and turned his hindrances into his strengths through time, learning, and perserverence.  Way to go, Willard Wigan!  And thank you for giving Gallery Furniture employees and customers a glimpse into your micro-world!

00 Gets a Great Night's Sleep

Gallery Furniture has delighted thousands upon thousands of Texans over the past six years by providing them with a great night's sleep.  Customers just like you often say "The Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic sleep set changed my life forever - and for the better!  Now I sleep for eight hours without waking up every hour and I have more energy and a renewed zest for living - more than I ever had before!"  So it comes as no surprise that both the Gallery Furniture regular and adjustable Tempur-Pedic sleep systems are the most recommended item sold at Gallery Furniture by a 10-1 margin. 

Hardly a day goes by when a Gallery Furniture customer comes in with the same Tempur-Pedic tale: "Mack!  I was staying over at my in-law's and they had a Tempur-Pedic and it was the greatest night sleep I had in ages!" And so in they come, to get a great night's sleep on a Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic for themselves.

Recently, an old friend of Gallery Furniture's came in complaining of horrible back aches - a common ailment that many folks come to Gallery Furniture for a Tempur-Pedic sleep set to help alleviate.  Just who was this old friend?  Well, he is one of the most storied sports figures of Houston, and is none other than the legendary 00 himself - former Houston Oiler and Pro-Bowler Ken Burrough.   A great man and one of the great NFL wide receivers, Kenny led all wide receivers in the NFL with 1,063 yards in 1975 and now he proudly represents his alma mater, Texas Southern University, as a director of Community Relations.  In his new position of being an ambassador to his school, you can bet that Kenny is on his feet for the most of his work week, and his constant public appearances means he needs the energy and vitality that come with a great night's sleep on a Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic.

Kenny sat down with Gallery Furniture and explained his reason for wanting a Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic Rhapsody Sleep Set.  "I tell you what, let's be honest - over ten years of playing football you get beat up a bit and I knew that Mack, who is a great family friend, and his people would find me the perfect Tempur-Pedic, and that's exactly what they did.  I got busy working and kept putting it off, but that was a bad move.  You need to take care of your back, that's one of the most important areas to keep in good health.  So, I came in for my Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic." 

Kenny has a speaking engagement later this evening for some of Houston's young football athletes where he was going to do some motivational speaking, and so we'll have to deliver and set-up his Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic a little bit later, but rest assured that the Gallery Furniture delivery team will set-up, install, and have ready his Gallery Furniture Rhapsody Tempur-Pedic fast, fast, fast.  Almost as fast as Kenny's legendary 4.3 football speed (at 6'4 and 230 lbs, no less).

How Sweet the Cougar Victory, How Delicious the Food, How Awesome the TV!

      

Every red-blooded Texan loves football, and everyone loves a hometown team.  So when the chance came to help the students of the University of Houston so they could be a part of the action when UH hosted the Texas Tech Red Raiders this past Saturday, Gallery Furniture - the world's greatest furniture store - stepped up to the line of scrimmage and got involved.  Turns out that the University of Houston's ticket office had a challenge that any university athletic department likes to have but finds difficult to get through - tons of demand to get in, not enough tickets to give out.  Gallery Furniture is Houston's leader in solving all kinds of problems, and instead of furniture, Gallery Furniture delivered food, fun, and a HUGE LCD TV!

   

You see, Gallery Furniture decided to offer up some free food in the form of BBQ ribs, burgers, sausage, hot dogs, and some corn along with a HUGE LCDTV on a  GoVision truck - a huge 9' high x 16' high Daktronics LCD television that broadcast the University of Houston matchup against Tech within the Red Lot at the corner of Scott and Wheeler - right in the heart of tailgate alley. 

  

The board's brightness could be seen from as far as the top deck of Robertson Stadium, and the students and alumni and guests that didn't have a chance at a ticket enjoyed some great Texas football at the Gallery Furniture Official Cougar Watch Party.  Gallery Furniture is more than just the world;s greatest furniture store - Gallery Furniture knows how to tailgate.  As the game played, and the emotional rollercoaster that played out on the grid iron reverberated in the cheers, gasps, and outcries of the tailgaters in the crowd, Gallery Furniture helped to create a fun, safe, and festive atmosphere for the enjoyment of all.  Whether you were an opposing Texas Tech Red Raider or a hometown University  of Houston Cougar, you were right there for every minute of one of the most exciting football games of the year.

   

Coach Joe Curl, who this year celebrates his 11th year at the helm of the University of Houston's Women's Basketball Team, kindly donated not just of his talented cooking efforts, but his world-famous Pitts-N-Spitts BBQ trailer to cook all the great food supplied by Gallery Furniture.  Working side by side with the Gallery Team, Coach Curl led the troops in feeding the massive horde of fans from both sides of this pigskin match.  Cougar and Raider alike tore into burgers, dogs, and ribs and cheered their team all the way until the clock reached zero - and what a sight it was.  The energy of the evening eclipsed anything the Gallery Furniture team had seen in some time - with one member of the crew saying "it reminded me of when the Astros played in the World Series - it was awesomely beautiful to be in the center of the energy and the experience."

Dropping by for some grub that evening and to talk shop with Joe Curl and the Gallery Furniture team was Assistant Athletic Director of Ticket Operations for the University of Houston, Mike Rea.  Along for the visit with Mike was Director of Ticket Operations for Texas Tech, Jarod Huddleston, who was excited to chow down on some delicious grub.  The energy of the tailgate crowd impressed Rea and Huddleston, who chose to watch part of the 3rd quarter at the Gallery Furniture tailgate party and were impressed with the set-up.

 

Team effort.  That's what wins games, and that's what won the night for the University of Houston football team in a tense game whose down-to-the-wire win will go down in the annals of Houston history as a storied tale of a great passing game, smart defensive plays, and sound clock management.  Just like the Cougars, the Gallery Furniture team came together for the students, alumni, and guests with sound best practices in event management so that Raider fans and Cougar fans alike could enjoy a game near the epicenter of energy this past Saturday - the tailgate lot of Robertson Stadium, home of the mighty University of Houston Cougars.   And a few ticks after midnight into Sunday, the explosion of triumph could be felt throughout Houston, with the party starting at the Gallery Furniture University of Houston Cougar Watching Tailgate Event.

What Does the 100% Gallery Furniture Billboard Stand For?

New and improved.  Customers often call and e-mail with the question "Hey, what does the 100% Gallery Furniture mean on all the billboards we see all over Houston?"  Well, quite simply, it means that the original Gallery Furniture location Houstonians have come to know and love at 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell & Parker is back open 100% - 100 days after the devastating fire of May 21st.  Also, it stands for the 100,000 square feet of new and exciting furniture, home theater and electronics, all ready for your perusal and approval.

There's a lot more to the 100% than just being 100% open… you see, Gallery Furniture is 100% dedicated to delighting, astonishing, and serving you - the world's greatest home furniture customers - 100% of  the time.  Likewise, 100% of the merchandise is new and exciting with over 100 decorative ideas for you to enjoy in the new & 100% improved Gallery Furniture showroom at 6006 North Freeway.

Customers often say when seeing the new Gallery Furniture showroom "Wow, this is really nice, it's more spacious, and it's 100% better than the previous showroom!"  That's a delight to hear, because the tragedy of May 21 has been transformed into the world's most beautiful and unique furniture & electronics showroom.  Folks, you gotta see it to believe it.

Even more significant is that Gallery Furniture is 100% of the time - that's 24/7/365 - committed to providing you and your family with the best furniture, electronics, and home theater values in the world.  All while bringing you a 100% customer-pleasing buyer experience from the minute you walk in the door to when the Gallery Furniture world-class delivery team delivers and installs your furniture, mattress, and home theater sets flawlessly.

True, the 100% Gallery Furniture means a lot of things - the most important of all, though, is this: that 100% of the Gallery Furniture crew works harder than ever to serve, delight, excite, astonish, and amaze YOU, the world's greatest Gallery Furniture customers! 

This is How We Roll.

At Gallery Furniture, it's all about delighting customers. Period, paragraph, end of argument.  Just a few days ago, a gentleman came into Gallery Furniture at 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell and Parker with a most urgent request.  His wife had recently had open heart surgery at the Texas Medical Center and was returning to their home in The Woodlands that same afternoon.   During the outpatient release conference, the doctor had recommended that his wife sleep on a Tempur-Pedic adjustable mattress - this way her body can rest more comfortably and thus speed up the trip down the road of recovery.

Since this was happening in real-time, this thoughtful husband found his way to Gallery Furniture with an idea to surprise his wife with the world's greatest mattress - the Gallery Furniture Adjustable Tempur-Pedic Sleep Set.  Knowing that only one store in America could possibly fulfill his request is what drove this great customer to come to Gallery Furniture for an adjustable Tempur-Pedic.  He came in and said very matter-of-factly: "I gotta have this Tempur-Pedic adjustable bed and it needs to be in my home, installed, and set up in two hours before my wife arrives so I can surprise her!'

The Gallery Furniture crew sprang into high gear, and a phone call was made to the relocated Gallery Furniture warehouse in Sugarland (moved there due to the devastating fire of May 21st) - and it was communicated in no uncertain terms that this delivery to The Woodlands must be fully set-up in less than two hours.   Following in the footsteps of the famous 217 B.C. crossing of the Alps by Hannibal and his army, the warehouse replied simply "Sir, we will find a way or make the way."

Readers should keep in mind the distance from the Gallery Furniture Sugarland Warehouse to The Woodlands location is roughly 55 miles - and the Gallery Furniture warehouse team must not only load the Gallery Furniture Adjustable Tempur-Pedic sleep set into the truck, but the delivery team must set up and have this Allura model operational within two hours.   Well, wouldn't you know it - the highly customer-focused world-class Gallery Furniture delivery team made their goal by having the Allura Adjustable Tempur-Pedic set-up, installed, and ready for use within one hour and forty-five minutes.  As a matter of fact, the Gallery Furniture delivery crew passed the arriving couple on the way out the door, with a very happy husband and a lovely wife well on her road to recovery thanks to the miracle mattress that is the Gallery Furniture Tempur-Pedic.  All with fifteen minutes to spare.

This is how Gallery Furniture rolls.

Monkeys and Birds in a Furniture Store? Yes. Only at Gallery Furniture.

Many people have asked, "Why monkeys and birds in a furniture store?"

Gallery Furniture has always marched to the beat of its own drum, and many folks wonder why there are monkeys and birds in a furniture store?  Fact is, my wife Linda and I have always loved animals and for years have chosen to share this love of all of God's creatures with friends, family,  and the world's greatest customers - those that walk through the door of Gallery Furniture.

Leading our lovely flock is Mack the Hyacinth Macaw - who has been the number one bird at Gallery for over 10 years.   Over the years, Gallery Furniture has hosted the Three Amigos miniature horses, Post Oak the Grand Champion Steer, champion race horses, and other birds - yet Mack the Hyacinth Macaw has always held stage front and center.

Following the evening of the devastating fire of May 21st, Gallery Furniture received many inquiries from friends, and our family of customers who wanted to know how the birds - and the other beautiful animals - were and their condition following the fire.  A series of blogs showcasing the animals, including one of Post Oak the Champion Steer living in a ranchland paradise, made their way so that folks could see that the animals they grew to know and love were doing quite well.

My wife and I then decided that since folks loved the animals so much, we should look into bringing more of them into the Gallery Furniture family.  And While Linda was looking into acquiring some more birds she met Robert Williams and his then six-month old baby Brown-Tufted Capuchin monkey "Sasha".   Robert is a native Houstonian whose love for exotic animals started when he was sixteen and has culminated into a passion to rescue and re-home several capuchins, an older female chimpanzee, even two brown bears!  

The chance meeting of Linda and Robert was one of serendipity - turns out my wife has always loved monkeys herself, and she wanted to share the wonders of these delightful creatures with those who visited Gallery Furniture.   Wanting to bring a new a new and dynamic experience for the world's greatest customers, we hired Robert for his many years of experience working with birds, primates and the general public.

Since the 100% Grand Opening Celebration, Gallery Furniture is proud to have one of the few Toco Toucans born each year outside the wild to share with its customers.  There are also three Keelbilled and two Swainson's Toucans that came from expert breeder and bird caretaker Chad Jensen in San Diego, California.  Together, Robert and Linda have put together a collection of over seventeen different species of exotic birds, which includes Mack the Hyacinth Macaw, who serves as patriarch to this magnificent assortment of birds.

Naturally, all creatures big and small need care, and with the Gallery Furniture monkeys, this is no exception.  Both Linda and Robert are very busy with the six baby Gallery Monkeys and the two that belong to Robert.    With love, care, and helping hands, the expert care of these creatures allows Gallery Furniture to bring to the world's greatest customers an experience to watch these great creatures interact with one another  - from seeing them gleefully at play or sleeping peacefully - in the fabulous monkey habitat which made its debut Labor Day Weekend.

The Gallery Furniture Monkey troupe consists of Parker, a 4.5 month old female and Tidwell a 4.5 month old male, both Brown-Tufted Capuchins that were born at the Smokey Mountain Zoo in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  Recently added to the troupe is Logan, a 3.5 month old male and Kate, a 10 week old female.  Logan's namesake is that of the selfless young man who walked into the Post Oak location after the fire and insisted on giving myself and the Gallery Furniture family of employees a bag of money he had been saving for an Apple iPod.  Since Logan's sister's name is Kate, it followed to reason that the we honor the family names.  Gallery Furniture also has a baby Brown-Tufted male and White Throat male that are currently looking for names in the "Name the Monkey" contest (as shown on the front page of GalleryFurniture.com). 

Sasha and Cody, also Capuchin monkeys, are Robert's own and they love to ham it up for the Gallery Furniture customers while in the monkey habitat - especially the male Cody who loves to swing and perform for all of the wonderful Gallery Furniture customers who stop by to watch and wave hello.

Gallery Furniture's animals are always there to bring a smile to the many visitors in the store every day of the week.   Likewise, they are also there to provide educational opportunities unlike any other. Gallery Furniture will be starting a school field trip program where classes of children can come to the store to learn about the animals in an up close and personal setting.   With Robert's expertise in education and instruction - he teaches at the University of Houston Downtown - Gallery Furniture will offer a unique look into these creatures for children who may never venture far out of an urban environment.

The Gallery Furniture animals will also continue the great Gallery Furniture tradition of charitable good will and helping others in need.  For example, two of the Gallery Furniture monkeys made a special appearance at Petapalooza to help raise money for the Houston Humane Society - a notable organization looking to help God's creatures who have no voice of their own.

So, why monkeys and birds in a furniture store?  Because Gallery Furniture is a one-of-a-kind furniture store.  Not only will Gallery Furniture save you money and deliver your furniture TODAY, Gallery Furniture will also bring you a store experience unlike any other in the world… TODAY.

Breathtakingly Big Screens, Big Sights, and Big Sounds TODAY.

Come out to see Gallery Furniture’s new 10 x 7 Big Screen TV in the new and improved Gallery Furniture located at 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell and Parker.  It’s a Texas fact – Gallery Furniture customers from all over Houston love  their college and pro football!  And what better way to see the BIG GAME then with your entire family while shopping at Gallery Furniture? 

While shopping, you can to enjoy gridiron greatness on the brilliant 10-foot by 7-foot Toshiba Big Screen TV while you enjoy great  values on furniture, home theater seating & electronics, hand-made and natural dyed rugs, and solid wood furniture all at Gallery Furniture’s stunningly beautiful  100,000 square foot showroom that is 100% open for you with hundreds of ways to save TODAY.

The exciting and vibrant new Gallery Furniture showroom is incredible, and here’s what other Gallery Furniture customers just like you have been saying about the newly-remodeled 100% open Gallery Furniture showroom:

“They opened a new showroom and it’s just breathtaking! Absolutely awesome!”

“It’s amazing, it’s huge, it’s big, and it’s brand new!  We’ve seen the monkeys they are adorable.  There is so much to do you could spend the day here!”

“Coming to Gallery Furniture was a really great experience they have beautiful rugs and we love to shop here!”

“It’s much more wide-open. It’s great! You’re actually able to see all of the furniture and see the way it would look in your house ... the way it’s designed now.”

Putting it simply, you  have gotta see it to believe it!  Take time to come out TODAY to the 100% open Gallery Furniture, at the address you know by heart – 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell & Parker – and let the newly remodeled showroom take  your breath away.

Oh, and one more thing.  There is a much better way to watch a big game on a big TV, and that better way can be found TODAY in the new Gallery Furniture showroom.  The best way to view your favorite college football rivalry or pro team is in your very own Gallery Furniture home theater room – surrounded by family, friends, great food, and great drinks!

Gallery Furniture Gets Groovy!

 

There's exciting and new furniture at Gallery Furniture - your one-stop Houston furniture shop for the latest and greatest in furniture, accessories, rugs, home theater and electronics, and all things… Groovy.  Gallery Furniture now carries something you won't find anywhere else - a line of solid wood furniture that retains so much of the wood's natural look and feel, it's like living art ready for your home TODAY.

 

Gallery Furniture's own Michael Burnes, a man instrumental in creating the beautiful vignettes and displays at 6006 I-45 North between Tidwell and Parker, was a key person in bringing this line manufactured by Groovy exclusively to Gallery Furniture.  "To be honest," Michael says, "I need to give credit to Jeremy Hunt for finding Groovy - he fell in love with it first and kept hounding me about it, so one day while at furniture market I was just minding my own business when this man introduced himself to me and it turned out he was the owner of Groovy Furniture.  I took him up on his offer to tour his space.  I have been working at Gallery Furniture for about 20 years, and one thing I learned is to always check everything out, you never know where the next idea will come from."

"When I walked into their company showroom, my first thought was how this furniture has its own niche, it's not easily categorized, and it really was just something that you could do almost anything with.  A lot of people may immediately look at it and think that Groovy Furniture belongs more in a ranch house or hill country setting - and believe me, it would work there - but you need to take it a step further.  These pieces easily blend into an urban loft or contemporary look, they can serve to add natural warmth to a contemporary look."

To prove his point, Michael points out a Groovy end table mixed with a highly contemporary couch on display at Gallery Furniture "You see how this just pops?  The eclectic look of the Groovy natural wood just fits anywhere, and it works and it lends life and depth to the whole look, and is a great accent piece or focal point in a contemporary setting!"

Today, Gallery Furniture is bringing in some dining table chairs, stools, some benches, and a host of other items from Groovy to go along with the beautiful wagon wheel benches, wagon wheel tables, wooden swings, and host of other types of furniture - all ready to go into your Houston home today.  Whether you have a ranch home you are decorating, a contemporary downtown Houston urban loft, or a cozy suburban setting, this gorgeous solid wood furniture from Gallery Furniture with its natural features fits in anywhere.  "This furniture is unique, it's gorgeous," adds Michael Burnes, "it's like taking a snapshot of nature - with thousands of different ways it can work in your home, it's beautiful, and you simply will not find this look anywhere except at Gallery Furniture."

Here's A Little Gallery Furniture Inside Information...

On September 3rd, when Gallery Furniture held the grand opening of Phase II of the Big Showroom at 6006 North Freeway - the great celebration of being 100% open - it came as no surprise that the Bill Stubbs inspirational rooms were not just stunningly perfect, but a huge hit.  Furniture, accessories, rugs, bed spreads, flooring, the art work and pictures, all combined in harmony to make the perfect home.  The effect was so powerful because Bill is a master at tying at everything together to create the perfect look - after all Bill, Stubbs is an artist in his own right.  This perfection then led Bill to make me promise him not to sell any of the floor models for at least three months so that the showroom would look brand new for some time to come. 

Well, no sooner had the Gallery Furniture showroom opened at 10:00 a.m. following the live broadcast of Houston's very own Great Day Houston with Deborah Duncan that a customer entered the inspirational showrooms at 10:30.  Well, she was so inspired by the work Bill Stubbs had done with the Gallery Furniture inspirational room that she turned to a salesperson and said "I want to buy all of this, just as it is shown in this room." 

I shamelessly told Bill Stubbs "Sorry, Bill, I gotta make the sale." 

The customer's order of Bill Stubbs' inspirational home was completely, flawlessly, and precisely delivered to the customer about to two days later.  At this point, Bill was scrambling to refurnish and redecorate the now empty inspirational home - and I am pleased to announce Bill had that Gallery Furniture inspirational home back to 100% in true Gallery Furniture fashion - fast, fast, fast.  I told Bill, "You know, your furniture and accessories look great in those rooms… but I gotta take care of the customer!"

Bill smiled.  I am pretty sure he understood.  After all, at Gallery Furniture, it's all about taking care of the customers - TODAY and every day.

[Photo, inset above. from left to right: Deborah Duncan, Bill Stubbs, Mattress Mack, and Michael Burnes]

The Power of Positive Thinking

I received a heartwarming letter from a local Houstonian who is an assistant principal and had attended the Realty Investment Club of Houston (RICH) workshop on Saturday September 5th, where she heard my speech on Bringing the Bright Sunny Future into the Present!  Given all that myself and the Gallery Furniture family have been through over the past year has really put so much into perspective - and I do enjoy sharing those experiences with fellow members of the Houston community.  Adversity can be overcome, good will always conquer evil, and proper planning prevents poor performance - these tenets are things that I feel all of us can believe in and as a result we can better not just ourselves, but the communities we live in.

In her letter she explained how, after years of feeling let down by government bureaucracy, she decided to stop and take stock of how positive a life she really does have.  Instead of complaining, this young woman decided to take the bull by the horns and start being positive and working harder!  She is now aware of just how lucky she is in her position, and instead of complaining or being frustrated while waiting on higher-ups to make change, she focuses on just how wonderful her students and school are.  She realizes the value of her position, and the positive impact she can bring to teachers and students alike in her role as assistant principal - in her letter she wrote "I get to be the one to help them and make a difference down the road in their lives!  Shame on me for forgetting that for a little while.  Even just a little while is too long when it comes to working with the lives of students!"

Pope John Paul II wrote in his famous Laborem exercens that "THROUGH WORK man must earn his daily bread and contribute to the continual advance of science and technology and, above all, to elevating unceasingly the cultural and moral level of the society within which he lives…" and no words ring more true than these when it comes to overcoming adversity.  When you're down, you focus and fight on, you work harder to make things better, and you put that axe to the grindstone and you contribute not just to your own well-being, but to the well-being of others around you.  In this way, you elevate the world.  I am truly happy to see this young Houstonian gain so much from my speech and that she took away a core belief of the Gallery Furniture family: "If it is to be, it is up to me" - and now she practices that at the school where she works serving to mold the future leaders of our community.

This young woman knows that to make it right at her school she will be the one to act, to make positive change, and to grow and nurture those kids.  Gallery Furniture salutes all those hardworking Houstonians who, day in and day out, look beyond the hard circumstances and take it upon themselves to work hard to raise themselves and their family up.  In this, they help to make the world a better place for all.  True change begins in the self, and with a commitment to a positive attitude and hard work.