A New Source for Old World Furniture

   For the past four years, shoppers in Tampa and St. Petersburg have been discovering the area’s most eclectic, most interesting, and most all-around-fun furniture retailer. Now the show has moved to Sarasota, with the Treehouse Gallery’s 6,000-square-foot store on North Tamiami Trail.
   From rather humble beginnings as a tiny Mexican rustic furniture store in a strip mall in North Tampa in July 2001, the business has evolved into a multi-store retailer with an ever-increasing selection of furniture and accessories not seen anywhere else. And, the store occupies a space that perfectly complements the inventory. Store designer Shay Grusd and her team of sales and delivery staff finally got the chance to create a special store environment on an empty canvas.
   “I think we did a pretty good job with our space in WestShore Plaza, but it was still a mall environment, and we were limited in what we could do. This time we had six weeks in an empty space, and I’m really pleased with the result.I wanted our customers to feel like they were walking into someone’s home, not another furniture store,” said Grusd.
   It’s not easy to describe the store’s style now, because it combines so many different elements.
   “In the beginning, we offered anything as long it was a rustic Mexican piece in some shade of brown” says co-owner Marc Georgian. “We now have more than 70 suppliers from every part of the world who provide us with a wide range of styles, materials and colors. We are especially proud of the colorful paint jobs and hand painted, distressed finishes we now offer.”
   In its Mission Statement, the store tries first to offer furniture that customers want to own at prices they can afford, and second to make shopping for furniture a fun experience.
   “We realize that shopping for furniture is difficult, and that customers will often visit us five or six times without buying anything. But if you need extra help, our designers are happy to assist you with a visit to your home, and to make suggestions about products we don’t even carry like window treatments. Most of our sales are from repeat customers, and we know that extra effort in customer service is well worth the expense,” said Georgian.
   The upcoming Annual Christmas Sale, December 8-11, is one of only two sales each year – the other takes place around the Cinco de Mayo festival.
   The Sarasota store can be reached by phone at 941-560-2590 and is located at 7942 North Tamiami Trail, one mile north of University Parkway and the airport. Store hours are Monday through Saturday 10-6 and Sundays 12-5.

TREEHOUSE GALLERY
7942 North Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL
941 560-2590