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

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. 

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.

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. 

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 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!

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!