Look through any of the home decorating magazines and it is almost impossible to find a home furnished entirely with new pieces. A well designed room with originality and uniqueness, creatively blends new items with antiques, gently used modern furnishings and retro pieces often found in consignment furniture stores.
Whether a new home owner decorating for the first time or someone looking for a specific piece of furniture, most are forsaking the generic big box furniture retailers for stores like Furniture Works of Olympia which offers an eclectic mix of new, used and consigned furniture.
“If you are buying a new matching living room set, it is a piece of cake to decorate because it already matches. But if you are buying a single used piece that is different than the other pieces in your home, you need to understand how the furniture is going to fit in your home. We arrange and display the furniture, artwork and home accessories just like room settings to help you imagine how it will work in your home,” explains Ken Adney owner of Furniture Works.
Adney had dreamed of opening his own business and after a thirty-year career in information technology he took the leap to open a retail store in downtown Olympia.
Adney carefully considered the business needs of the community and recognized the absence of a good used furniture store. “Olympia has plenty of antique stores with a few pieces of furniture but there was not anything with contemporary design, quality pieces at reasonable prices,” he explains. “Plus we wanted a business that supported our ethics of recycle and reuse as well as our belief the downtown area of a community offers a historic and special nature for businesses and citizens.”
Having built nearly fifteen pieces of furniture himself, Adney parlayed his knowledge of woods, joinery and finishes to owning a retail furniture store and made the deliberate choice to locate in downtown Olympia. Thus Furniture Works was born twelve years ago.
Adney’s decision to locate his business in downtown Olympia is simply a reflection of his commitment to re-investing in the community in which he lives. “I want to see our community thrive and prosper. I have come to appreciate the role business plays in the arts, local government and non-profits-they are all intertwined. And much of what I like about our community is supported by local business such as Music in the Park.”
Every Monday Furniture Works donates 5% of its gross sales to a non-profit organization as part of the Nickel Monday program. Recent recipients have included Drexel House, Sidewalk and Behavioral Health Services. Additionally, Adney serves on the Parking and Business Improvement Area Board and the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Port of Olympia putting into action his commitment to a thriving downtown. And not only is Adney doing the right thing for our downtown but Furniture Works was also recently recognized by Thurston County Chamber of Commerce as the Small Green Business of the Year for its environmentally friendly business practices.
Furniture Works is approximately one-third each of new, gently used and consignment pieces. Skilled in finding highly desirable pieces of furniture or home accessories at auctions and estate sales, Adney then brings these unique pieces into his showroom. Most new pieces are sourced from Northwest wholesalers honoring Adney’s preference to stay local and support other small businesses. Adney also tries to have a few pieces from local artisans and craftsmen. Furniture Works’ inventory is constantly updated and changing as most consignment pieces tend to sell quickly.
Adney’s penchant for quality unique furnishings makes the store an alluring place to shop. “Furniture shopping is like looking for a swimsuit in January. You know those pieces are out there somewhere but you cannot find them in regular furniture stores. New furniture stores will stock what is currently in vogue but we are an opportunity to relish quality furniture from the past.”
402 Washington Street NE in downtown Olympia
360-570-0165
Hours: Monday through Friday from 12:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Saturday from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
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