By Matt Gomez
Mountain View Telegraph
   
Hundreds of pieces of furniture recently found a home in Edgewood.
Furniture Connection, a 15,000 square-foot retail furniture store, opened Feb. 1 at 5 Linnie Court, off Old Route 66 west of N.M. 344 in Edgewood.
   

Owner Carol Perkins said she thought the Edgewood location would be a good place to build because of the town’s growth potential.

Perkins and her husband, Brent, relocated to the East Mountains from Albuquerque after a Realtor friend showed them a home near Sedillo Hill, Carol Perkins said. She added that the home’s location contributed to the decision to build a new store in Edgewood because the town was so close.

    The store includes 12,000 square feet of retail space as well as a warehouse.
    “We can make (the store) bigger if the community grows like it appears it’s going to,” Perkins said.
    Perkins and her husband, Brent, also own The Furniture Store in Albuquerque, which has been around since 1989, she said. The lease for the Albuquerque location ends in three years, after which the store in Edgewood will become their only business. Brent Perkins runs the Albuquerque location.
    Carol Perkins, who used to work more on the administrative side of things, has had to do a little bit of everything since the store in Edgewood opened, she said. The work seems a little overwhelming at times, but “it always gets done,” she said.
    An example: a shipment of about 60 reclining sofas, love seats and chairs the store received April 27 that Perkins, her husband and her warehouse assistant had to unload, she said.
    “It’s been up and down for the most part— a lot of work, but very exciting,” Perkins said about opening the store. “We’ve gotten a lot of support from the community.”
    Jill Henry, the store’s only sales associate besides Perkins, said the store was very busy the first month it opened but has slowed to a more steady pace since then.
    “I feel happy to sell really beautiful furniture and to meet people in the community,” Henry said. “It’s interesting when you work here, you meet people moving (to the area) from all over the country.”
    Chris Villiard, one of the store’s customers, said she saw the store’s sign out front and paid a visit about a month after it opened. The Edgewood location is convenient for her because she lives close by, she said.
    “They are so nice here,” Villiard said. “I could not say enough good things. They’re really nice.”
    The store offers sofas, love seats, bedroom and dining room furniture and a wide variety of accessories, including lamps and paintings. Henry said a sofa with a stitched horse motif and a handmade dining room table from Mexico are examples of the more unique pieces the store offers.
    Furniture Connection will have a grand opening event Memorial Day weekend from May 27-29, Perkins said. Furniture drawings will be held and several items will be on sale.