Upscale Furnishings fills local, sustainable niche

Joel Ferris knows a thing or two about what it takes to run a successful furniture retail business. You might say the concept is ingrained in him much like the fine wood of some of the furnishings at his 6,300 square foot warehouse in Spokane. He was just a child in 1950 when his father, Joel Ferris, Sr. opened Joel Furnishings, a unique furniture and specialty gift shop. “I remember opening these toy surprise balls of shredded paper—as the paper would come apart, toys would drop out” recalls Ferris. “Growing up in that environment was incredibly fun and had this very…magical quality to it.” In 1967, the store moved from Sprague Avenue to Second and Post where it would thrive for 38 more years, gaining the reputation of the “go-to place” for upscale furnishings and gifts. It was here that Ferris, Jr. learned from his dad the importance of impeccable customer service. When Ferris Sr. died in 2002, Ferris, Jr. and his brother Toby took over Joel until 2005 when they decided to close due to tough competition from large national chains, and online and catalog shopping. “Unfortunately, people were losing sight of family-owned stores, making it hard to compete,” says Ferris. It was in closing the store that Ferris saw the opportunity to start something he’d been thinking of for some time—a consignment home furnishings store, offering high quality, gently-used furniture and home accessories at a fraction of the cost of new. “I felt there had to be a lot of good things out there, that given the right venue, people would be willing to part with,” says Ferris. At first entertaining the idea of a “weekend concept” much like a flea market, Ferris came across the large commercial building at 2510 N. Monroe, with lots of windows and ample parking—not an easy or affordable thing to find on a busy street—and took a chance. The building, which had been an old neighborhood Safeway, was an interesting parallel to the “Joel Building” which also was a former neighborhood grocery. So the bright red signs went up, bearing the Upscale name and in February 2006, just six months after closing Joel, Ferris opened Upscale Home Furnishings. Since opening, he hasn’t had a problem keeping the warehouse stocked. With so many people downsizing but unwilling to give their higher-end furniture away, Ferris has kept busy consigning well-known brands such as Ethan Allen, Lexington and Drexel Heritage. “A brand new dining set can cost you up to $10,000,” Ferris says. “Here you can find a fine set for one-third to one-half of that.” He makes the process convenient for his consignors, extending to them his practice of impeccable customer service, by providing free in-home evaluations and delivery of their furniture to the store. And although he says he realizes his 50 percent commission is a little higher than you may find elsewhere, his consignors are always happy with their return as it’s a much larger amount than if they were to try to sell their item online. He also carries vintage antiques as well as discounted new furniture, and in the spring and summer, sells fine wrought iron outdoor furniture from the O.W. Lee Company. With concern about his and his business’ “environmental footprint” and reflecting on the current state of the economy, Ferris is confident that his business plan has staying power. “I feel like it’s the right kind of business at the right time,” says Ferris. “It’s a win-win situation all the way around—for the buyer, consumer and the planet.” Not new to the sustainable way of life, Ferris, a founder of the Spokane Marketplace in 1990, always tries to “walk the walk” in his personal life as well, recycling whenever he can, exercising energy efficiency, and keeping things well maintained to preserve their life. Realizing the importance of community ties and the benefits of “keeping it local,” he enjoys the stories behind the furniture that “create a special value that you can’t get when buying new.” He also enjoys the serendipitous nature of his business which is based on what his customers are looking and asking for, not necessarily what is hot off the market. “I don’t really know how my inventory will be changing from day to day,” says Ferris. “It’s all based on their choices, not mine,” says Ferris. He and his three sales associates offer customers personalized shopping by taking their requests for specific pieces and compiling them in a “wish book.” When those pieces come in, those customers get first dibs. And with his commitment to excellent condition of his inventory, which sometimes requires him to make structural repairs or clean a piece at no expense to the buyer before it goes out the door, Ferris has a large volume of returning clientele. “The credibility that people associate with me and Joel’s Furniture definitely helps bring people in,” says Ferris. “So I try my best to be meticulous and carry that reputation forward.” “It’s about bringing nice, fine furniture one more time around, and in a more affordable range for more people,” Ferris says.