Welcome to Inspirations

First, a few statistics…

 American Business is Overwhelmingly Small Business

In 2012, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, there were 5.73 million employer firms in the U.S. Firms with fewer than 500 workers accounted for 99.7 percent of those businesses, and businesses with less than 20 workers made up 89.6 percent. Add in the number of nonemployer businesses – there were 23.0 million in 2013 – then the share of U.S. businesses with less than 20 workers increases to 97.9 percent.

Among employer C Corporations in 2012, 99.2 percent had less than 500 workers, and 86.2 percent had fewer than 20 employees.

-from http://sbecouncil.org/about-us/facts-and-data/

So what does that mean to the employees of Charlton Furniture?

Karen (19 years): Unlike “big-box” stores, we know what our local customers like and therefore are better equipped to fulfill their needs. I get great satisfaction knowing that we are helping our neighbors create the home of their dreams.

Lisa (about 1 year): My favorite part of working in a small business is the relationships I’ve created with the customers in the community. We really have their best interest at heart when selecting furniture for their home.

Valerie (12 years): As an employee of a small business, we “wear many hats.” I enjoy the diversity of my job but I really love knowing that what I do here matters (both to my fellow employees and our customers) At big companies, it’s easy to feel like just another cog in the machine.

Joe (2 ½ years): I like seeing our customers back in the store after they already had a delivery.  It’s nice to know that they are happy enough with their purchase to come back for more.  I think it’s reassuring for them to see me too, to be familiar with who is coming into their home.

Melissa (16 years): Family owned businesses are important in their strong commitment to quality and relation to their own family name. Their humanity in the workplace shows the care and concern for employees and customers as extended family.

Susan (since birth!): My father opened this store with a commitment to customer service.  We continue this tradition and I recognize its value every time a customer comes in and tells me that their parents, friends, or neighbors recommended us! We have a unique atmosphere at our store and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with!” – Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz

Our designers, Deborah and Lisa found inspiration right here in our beautiful landscaping.  Drawing from the colors and textures of this colorful planting, they came up with a design plan that would complement any home. Come in and talk with them about how to bring top-quality furniture at great prices into your vision of a perfect home.

*Follow us on Instagram for more design inspiration! @charltonfurniture!

Like many people, we here at Charlton Furniture are creatures of habit.  We spent the beginning of the summer planning for the Massachusetts sales tax holiday: What sales can we offer? Do we have enough stock? We’ve even started planning our family vacations around it.  And now - *poof!* - no sales tax holiday.  Needless to say, we are as disappointed as you are.

Please don’t misunderstand: we know that the state government has good reason for the decision.  But we also see our customers that anticipate the event because they want to save some good money.

Don’t worry! We, like many other retailers, are offering deals that surpass the 6.25% savings. This week we will pay the sales tax for you on in-stock items. And for special orders, we will discount even lower than our usual “up to 40% off retail.”

So if you want great quality furniture (most of which is made in USA) and save a bundle of money, come into our store and see what we have to offer. And check out our website at www.charltonfurniture.com

What leopard print is to fabric (classic with an edge) Tiger Maple is to wood furniture…

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Flame maple (tiger maple), also known as flamed maple, curly maple, ripple maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames". This effect is often mistakenly said to be part of the grain of the wood; it is more accurately called "figure", as the distortion is perpendicular to the grain direction. Prized for its beautiful appearance, it is used frequently in the manufacturing of musical instruments, such as violins and bassoons, and fine furniture. Another well-known use of the material is its use in guitars, especially the venerated Gibson Les Paul. The Gibson Les Paul "Standard", initially manufactured from 1958 to 1960, sported a flame maple top finished in a cherry-red sunburst on a mahogany body. Today, these instruments are some of the most prized on the vintage guitar market, and as such are unaffordable to most musicians.^[1]

During the westward expansion of early settlers and explorers into the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, curly maple was often used for making the stocks used on Kentucky rifles.

chromophobia

noun

a fear of colors; also called chromatophobia,psychrophobia

*from Dictionary.com

Color is a funny thing. We all love it, but when it comes to choosing it for our furniture, most of us are afraid to commit to anything beyond a neutral. The bigger the piece, the leerier we become of making a choice that we might hate in a short period of time. But using all neutrals can leave a room looking boring and flat.

An easy solution is to keep larger scale pieces in neutral tones, and save your pops of color for accent chairs, rugs, accessories or artwork. This way, if you tire of the color you chose, it’s easy to change.

But how do you commit to that “pop” of color? Where do you get your inspiration? It can be as close as your closet! See what colors you wear most –  they must make you happy or you wouldn’t keep wearing them. And if you look good in them, you’ll probably look good on them!

Blend your choices the same way you might put together your outfit

• Mix textures and patterns for the most interest.
• Think of your shoes or boots, and bring in a statement leather piece.
• Jewelry adds sparkle to your outfit: try metallic accents or accessories in your home.
• Use your fashion sense and have fun with it!

Here are some of our favorite colorful rooms.

From http://www.usmemorialday.org/

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.

Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).

It is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363). This helped ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19th in Texas; April 26th in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10th in South Carolina; and June 3rd (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Recently, our sales staff had the opportunity to tour the manufacturing facility for Saloom Furniture in Winchendon, MA.  The ladies had a great time learning exactly how these hand-crafted items are made: Right here in Massachusetts!

The Saloom Story: American Design & Craftsmanship

The dining table is the heart of your home, it’s where you share family meals, have celebrations, and help with homework. Something so important should be designed by you to fit your style, and be built to last.

Peter and I started Saloom Furniture in 1982 with a mission to make great furniture, create quality jobs, and be a positive influence in our community. We feel fortunate to live and work in Massachusetts which has a rich furniture manufacturing history. All of our furniture is hand crafted by our New England artisans, who take pride in their work and in building a dining set made just for you.

“Our mission is to make great furniture, create quality jobs, and be a positive influence in the community."

Peter & Linda Saloom