June 2006 - The Parklander Magazine

Forever Stickley Furniture Showroom opened just afew months ago in The Shoppes of Heron Lakes.Shelley Heinley chose to bring Stickley Furniture to SouthFlorida because of the distinctive high quality, style and richhistory of both the company and the products. Leopold andJohn George Stickley introduced their first furniture line in 1904,at a trade show in Grand Rapids, Michigan.The mission furniture was a much-needed changefrom Victorian furniture, which was prevalent at theturn of the century. Leopold was credited withbringing the “Arts & Crafts Style” furniture toAmerica. The new style was championed by the likesof the Green brothers in California, Frank Lloyd Wrightin the Midwest and the Stickley brothers in New York.Stickley was well received and its quality became thestandard to which all furniture should be built. Expertsover the years have recognized Stickley’scraftsmanship and acclaimed these creations fortheir purity of form, soundness of construction andfitness of purpose.In 1974, Alfred and Aminy Audi purchased StickleyFurniture and guided it to new levels ofaccomplishment. The Audis have steadfastlymaintained the company tradition of pride, integrityand deep respect for the Arts & Craftsheritage that made Stickley famous.Today Stickley Furniture employs over1,500 people in their plants located inNew York and North Carolina. Stickleycraftsmen and women still do much ofthe work by hand, joined by greattechnology that enables them to build itbetter today than a hundred years ago. Stickley now has grown toinclude Traditional, Williamsburg, John Widdicomb, Transitional,and Fine Upholstery to compliment the Mission Arts & Crafts.“So much of the furniture marketed in South Floridalooks the same,” says Shelley Heinley. “I thinkfurniture companies all copy each other so theysuffer the ‘sameness disease.’ Having been in thefurniture industry for 20 years, I felt Florida wasready for a change. No more mystery woodor particleboard. We invest more in our cars today and will havethem only five years. If we invest in quality furniture today, it willnot be necessary to replace it in a few years.“In fact, Stickley Furniture is committed to becoming theheirlooms of tomorrow. My challenge to furniture buyers is toeducate themselves before taking a trip to the general furniturestore. Find out what styles are appealing and why?Is there a history to support the style or is it just trendyForever Stickley is located at: 5695 Coral RidgeDrive in Coral Springs, Florida 33076Owner: Shelley Heinley • Phone: (954) 227-9990www.foreverstickley.combecause some famous person says it is? How manyyears do you want this furniture to last? If you likedisposable furniture, it is your choice.“You have to spend more money in the long run butif you have plenty to waste, it is your money. Justremember how much waste it creates to replacefurniture over and over. Our landfills are full ofbroken furniture. For furniture buyers who have anappreciation for solid black cherry, solid plantationHonduran Mahogany, or solid quarter-sawn whiteoak, all crafted by artisans to last a lifetime, visitForever Stickley.”Shelley also has advice for customers whoask, “Why invest in Stickley QualityFurniture?”She says, “First and foremost, investing inquality, whether it be furniture or your homeitself, is less expensive in the long term.Replacing furniture every three to five yearswill cost nearly five times as much as buying quality furniture once.Stickley furniture has endured the test of time by alwaysmanufacturing furniture built to last a lifetime. Fashion trendschange rapidly but classic styling whether traditional or transitionalwill always speak volumes about a home and its owner.When Gustov Stickley wrote in 1909, “In 50 or a 100 yearsit will be worth many times its first cost, for the time coming…”he knew the quality he put into his furniture then wouldyield heirlooms today.”the PARKLANDER 29