Weisshouse is honored for retailing excellence by Home Accents Today magazine

Home Accents Today 2009 Retail Stars: The Best and the Brightest

By Susan Dickenson and Dana French

During the course of reviewing nominations for this year’s Retail Stars list, it was suggested by more than one reader that perhaps this year’s list should be renamed to “Retail Survivors.” That’s probably due to the fact that when we announced our call for nominations, America’s retailers were already experiencing the screeching halt of customer traffic brought on by the financial fall-out of the first quarter of 2009, coming right on the heels of the ugly last quarter of 2008.

Nonetheless, by mid-April we found ourselves looking at another great stack of nomination forms. And from those we’ve chosen these: 50 retailers of home accents who demonstrate a knack for merchandising, are vital members of their communities, and/or have managed to distinguish themselves from their competition in order to be successful.

In fact, despite the “Survivor” suggestion, one thing that does distinguish the 2009 list from those in years past is its impressive staying power. Ten of the stores on this year’s list are at least 50 years old and almost half of the list has been in business for at least a decade. One store, Snow’s Home & Garden of Orleans, Mass., might just be one of our oldest retail stars to date. Known as “Cape Cod’s Ultimate Shopping Destination,” Snow’s has been owned by the same family since its founding in 1887.
Our 2009 Retail Stars also own a lot more selling space (about 2.6 million square feet) and employ about three times more people (3,400) than last year’s list.

Thirteen of this year’s retail stars sell in at least 9,000 square feet of space. The largest retailer on our list this year is Art Van Furniture, which groups accessories and rugs in its furniture vignettes at each of its 30 Michigan stores, representing a collective 1.5 million square feet.
But we’ve also seen some pretty impressive things happening in much smaller venues. Four of the retailers operate in less than 1,000 square feet of space, the smallest being Total Bliss, a 300-sq.-ft. shop within a retail/design center in Huntersville, N.C.

As a group, our Stars have also demonstrated that a Web site is no longer a novelty. Almost every shop is online — some selling, some even blogging about their businesses. Many of the stores are differentiating themselves through store-branded products, private labels and lots of customization.

A summary of the selection methodology follows this article. As this is not a ranking, the stores are presented in alphabetical order along with a tiny summary paragraph that doesn’t do them justice. We encourage you to visit their Web sites and, if possible, their stores for a closer look. And look for more information about many of these stores in future editions of Home Accents Today and at HomeAccentsToday.com.


WEISSHOUSE PITTSBURGH
1 STORE; ESTIMATED 2008 TOTAL SALES: $5 million - $9.9 million
Home furnishings specialist, in business since 1943. Its 14,000-sq.-ft. store offers high-end lines. Has 13 employees, including five salespeople. Home accents include accent furniture, lamps, lighting, wall decor, decorative pillows, throws, area rugs, tabletop and other decorative accessories. Key vendors include B&B Italia, Ligne Roset, Calvin Klein, Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams, Oly Studio, Central Station, Four Hands and ClubCu accent furniture; Bjorling & Grant, Ligne Roset and Patrick Charles for decorative accessories; Visual Comfort, Artemide, Bobo Intriguing Objects, Verner Panton and Asia Minor for lamps; Roberta Schilling, Phillip Jefferies, Karl Mullen and Jack Weiss paintings for wall decor. Furniture and accent furniture accounted for 45% of 2008 total sales; flooring and area rugs, 40%; wallpaper, window treatments, fabric and other accessories, 15%. Special events include sample sales in January and June and warehouse sales. Describes its merchandising scheme as a modern eclectic mix, with Asian, African and American antiques and some traditional touches. Bills itself as a one-stop design center and shopping destination for home furnishings. weisshouse.com

HomeAccentsToday.com

Modern Italian meets classic Edgeworth Bold contemporary features open up old-school kitchen

The renovated kitchen in the home of Kay and Roger Wiegand of Edgeworth features an extra long island with a notch for seating. Interior designer Kay Wiegand cooked up a fool-proof recipe for adding a little Italian flavor to her very traditional, very American, Edgeworth home. The house, a girls boarding school during the Civil War, has all of the architectural elements you would expect from something built in 1833 -- deep molding, high ceilings, original glass and two-story plantation-style colonnades along the front porch.

What you don't expect to find is an airy, 900-square-foot kitchen with a decidedly contemporary manner. It was a bold move incorporating something so modern into something so old school, but Mrs. Wiegand and her husband, Roger, are not timid when it comes to thoughtful updating. The kitchen was small and cut off from the rest of the house, so the couple decided to open things up.

"My personal philosophy is if you have a great old house and you tear it apart, you want to make sure you maintain some historical integrity and retain a sense of flow," says Mrs. Wiegand, owner of the design business Kay Wiegand Inc.

The main ingredient used to tie the differing styles together is color.

"Kay is known for her sense of color," says Stacy Weiss, owner of Weisshouse.

More information

Weisshouse on South Highland Avenue in Shadyside has a Poliform Varenna kitchen showroom and samples of cabinet colors and woods. Information: 412-441-8886.

The furniture retailer represents Poliform Varenna, the Italian manufacturer Mrs. Wiegand chose for her kitchen. In it, the dominant rich caramel plays off the sleek Ovangkol touch-latch wood cabinets, giving the room a warm, welcoming feel rather than the cold clinical look some contemporary kitchens take on. It also connects well with the more traditional rooms, which are done in vibrant blues, greens and deep coral.

"I like crayon colors, and I enjoy using color wherever I can," explains Mrs. Wiegand.

Because four smaller rooms had to come down to create the new kitchen space, planning alone took about five months.

"We worked with Kay and architect Bill Childes from Ohio and Ron Reinheimer, who helped sketch out the plans for the kitchen," says Ms. Weiss.

As walls came down, steel beams were added to shore up the ceiling.

"We had a leak from the chimney, which caused the ceiling to crash down on the floor. It was a disaster, but we ended up with radiant-heated floors because of it," Mrs. Wiegand says.

The ceramic-tile floor is very cozy underfoot now. An 18-foot-long island with a notched area for seating at one end is a gathering spot for friends and family, including the Wiegands' three children and four grandchildren. The extra-long island is practical, too, loaded with storage space and appliances. Blizzard-white stone countertops on the island and sink are easy to keep looking new, unlike more high-maintenance stone such as marble and granite.

"I didn't want this space to be fussy," notes Mrs. Wiegand.

No fuss but lots of storage were some of the directives she gave to the Weisshouse team.

"I really didn't want to lose the storage space I had with the four rooms that were removed," she says.

All of the drawers and some doors open with just a touch, and other cabinets have only streamlined horizontal bars for latches. The result is a clean, seamless look. Behind the sleek surface is room for everything, including a water cooler, an icemaker, a trash smasher, a dishwasher, two sinks and two refrigerators. In keeping with the uncluttered aesthetic, all plugs and switches are hidden under the over-counter cabinets and recessed lighting makes the coral-colored glass tile backsplash glow. White lacquered cabinets above the main sink also set off the tiles and add another dimension to the room.

"We pored over hundreds of different tiles looking for just the right color," says Mrs. Wiegand, adding that it was one of the harder decisions.

Icon Construction was the general contractor on the project and Carpenter Construction installed the Poliform cabinets.

What to do with the little basement door was another dilemma. It was solved with a nod to the nautical -- a porthole-style window. The stair rail to the right was done in horizontal stainless steel, making everything look ship-shape.

"We added a stainless-steel countertop under one of the kitchen windows with a basin for plants, which can be watered without worrying about ruining the countertop," Ms. Weiss notes.

A built-in banquette done in camel leather piped in cream surrounds a large oval Saarinen table from Weisshouse, and an oversized ottoman is strategically placed near the in-wall gas fireplace surrounded by rectangular bamboo tiles.

"I love how it has turned out," declares Mrs. Wiegand.

Patricia Sheridan can be reached at psheridan@post-gazette.com.

First published on January 3, 2009 at 12:00 am

Read more: "Modern Italian meets classic Edgeworth" - http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09003/939266-30.stm#ixzz0GARVRCWW&A

The Weiss Buyer

Pittsburgh's Weisshouse maintains its 50-year-old edge with merchandise that's carefully scrutinized and selected by owner and chief shopper Stacy Weiss.

Susan Dickenson -- Home Accents Today, 1/1/2009

Despite the tough economic times, Pittsburgh retailer Stacy Weiss equaled her 2007 sales numbers in early December. And that's enough to make her very happy for now.

The 14,000-sq.-ft. Weisshouse showroom is located in a turn-of-the-century building that once served as a parking garage for the Mellon family. It's a different business, and in a different place, from the company Weiss's father founded in 1943 and the precursor to Weisshouse Modern Curtain and Rug Company.

One thing that hasn't changed over the years is the care and attention given to buying. Weiss, who worked alongside her father and brother for more than 20 years before becoming Weisshouse's sole owner five years ago, personally selects each item and shops several European shows in addition to the spring and fall High Point markets, Las Vegas Surfaces, New York Gift Show, Atlanta Area Rug Market and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.

It's what she loves most, and she does it according to her own taste. She buys confidently, personally selecting each item, her decisions based on the premise that it must be something she'd like to have in her own home.

Our style is very eclectic, mostly classic modern, with vintage kitsch, and some traditional estate pieces, Weiss said. We like to have as many unique, one-of-a-kind accessories in the showroom as possible. There are numerous retailers out there who promote mass production of the same style or current trend over and over. We prefer a more personal curated approach.

Weiss credits her practiced eye to an early exposure to and realization of design aesthetics, and to a lifelong interest in colors and shapes. Looking back now as a young girl, the way I would comb the beaches of Provincetown looking for colored stones is very similar to how I now comb the aisles of the many trade shows I attend scanning, omitting, focusing, she said.

Before joining the family business she applied those principles to her work as a photographer. I had a great eye but I was not a good technician, she said. I believe my photography helped me become a good buyer because I developed a strong sense of composition.

Weisshouse reaches its target audience with print ads in local magazines and regional issues of national magazines, a capabilities brochure sent to new home buyers, postcards advertising special promotions and e-mail blasts to coincide with the promotions and billboards.

The company donates to more than 150 charities each year, and maintains a robust Web site that's currently screening its in-house promotional viral video, using contemporary fashion, furniture and lifestyle trends to set the seen.

Weisshouse' clients are educated professionals who like to travel and have busy schedules, not unlike Weiss, who has five children between the ages of 13 and 23. She credits her ability to run both house and home to her amazing husband Will and a great housekeeper. I teach them (the kids) to be independent they have no choice, she said. I can't attend many of their after-school activities, but they understand. We all love each other very much.