Last month, we told you about “room” moving their furniture and accessory store from the corner of Elmwood and Potomac to 1400 Hertel Avenue. Today we stopped in to the new space as it undergoes changes, readying it for next month’s big grand opening, and we found out it’s going to be so much more than we expected.
According to co-owner Michael Poczkalski, who was in the foyer laying tiles in the vast showroom (left), this new location of room will house several local city and suburban retailers’ wares, making it a one stop shop. Italian Marble & Granite (Clarence Center), W W Dobkin Co, Inc., tile (Cheektowaga), MP Carroll Hardwood (Cheektowaga), Ridgewood Custom Cabinetry (Grote Street), and Schuele Paint (4 locations in and around Buffalo), will all be part of the permanent installations in the new space, and will have samples available for customers of room.
One small room off of the showroom will act as the Decorating Resource Center, where Mike and co-owner David Brugh, along with Client Specialist Andrew Poczkalski, will meet with customers to help them design their home spaces.
“The store will act as one huge sample, where everything seen here is available through us,”
Mike says. “Like the wall color? That’s Schuele. The counter tops? Italian Marble. The tile? Dobkin…and the Resource Center will have a full array of MP Carroll samples. And if you like the bling,” he says, referring to the hanging lights, “they’re available through us, too.”
The idea of so many retail outlets banding together to form a full-service store on Hertel Avenue is new, and so tuned in to customer needs. Anyone who’s ever gone through the process of renovation knows the stress involved in having to chase all over town collecting samples and matching them to others, looking for each component of a redo. This consolidation of these elements and resources, with room‘s eye for quality as a benchmark, is so deliciously convenient. As icing on the cake, every purchase there is a sale made in Buffalo.
Mike (right), seen here with his helpers, brother David, and father Connie, says the idea of consolidating with other outlets is an example of strength in numbers. “We can become a force in the decorating industry,” he says. “Local dealers depend on each other to survive.”
For now, the finishing touches are being attended to, such as the wood floor that’s waiting for a deep brown stain. The tin ceiling is restored and there is a warehouse full of new furniture still in boxes. Other than the exclusive new line of Calvin Klein furniture Mike told us about before, he says room will be getting solid wood pieces from Copeland of Vermont, and will also be the first purveyor on the east coast of Greenington, a line of exotic bamboo pieces.
Expect a grand opening on February 26th. And remember, baby room will be bigger and better in the original Elmwood location.