Interior design is getting a makeover in Baltimore.
Building on the success of their unique furniture store in Belvedere Square in Baltimore City, Nouveau Contemporary Goods Inc., Steve Appel and Lee Whitehead are taking a more active approach to interior design ? starting a new company. While still offering traditional design services and consultations in their store, the pair opted to branch out and start a more encompassing product, Whitehead and Appel Interior Design which launched in May.
With the new service, the pair will expand into kitchen and bathroom design, floor plans and use their network of vendors to branch outside their own inventory for certain amenities.
“We listen to people,” Appel, 44, said. “We work in layers and do what people can afford. We want to do our job but create what they want.”
As a small business, Nouveau and the new interior design firm rely extensively on word-of-mouth references. Just in the last few weeks, the duo has done work in Wilmington, Del., Venice, Fla. and the Eastern Shore. And as the word spreads, Appel wants to make sure that people don?t think of Nouveau as a goofy store that was once on Charles St., and as a destination for chic and progressive furniture.
“We aren?t just all about bright colors,” Appel said. “We start where [the box retailers] leave off.”
Maintaining an active inventory of around 500,000 items, Appel told The Examiner that the store is definitely not a museum. With no back storage room, the co-owners work with their staff of 11 full-time workers to maintain the front of Nouveau as clean as possible to keep the furniture in “take home” shape. In addition, the goal at Nouveau is to turn over its entireinventory.
And there should be plenty of potential customers. According to US census bureau, furniture sales are up 3 percent for the year, nearly hitting $59 billion for the first six months of 2007.
“We started with him for my son and we fell in love with Nouveau,” said Marilyn Weisman, 58, of Baltimore. “Steve?s done my son?s furnishings three times, my daughter?s once and he?s doing my new place. Not only does he help you, but they take you in like family.”
DISCUSSION QUESTION: How much should people spend on home furnishings?
