Time For A Change At Zak's Furniture
Zak’s Fine Furniture on North Roan Street recently decided it was time for a change.
Article from Johnson City Press by Brandon Paykamian JUN 27, 2017 AT 7:08 PM
JOHNSON CITY - As the company approaches its 50th anniversary in two years, Zak’s recently began renovating its decor and bringing in new products. The renovations to the store, which are almost nearly complete after being started months ago, have been done with the help of the Magnolia Home furniture line, which is owned by Joanna Gaines.
Joanna Gaines and her husband, Chip, are known nationally for their HGTV show “Fixer Upper,” one of the highest-rated shows on the network.
According to Marsha Salley, Zak’s marketing director and design consultant, the store decided an update in both the products and the store itself was overdue. “It’s like when you decide your house is a little dated, so you start to renovate it — that's what’s happening here on a corporate level,” Salley said.
Before beginning renovations a year ago, the Zak’s location in Johnson City began selling products from Magnolia Home before using them for renovations, according to Salley. After seeing “Fixer Upper” become increasingly popular on television, Salley and CEO Scott Bowman took the opportunity to capitalize on that wave of popularity.
“We started carrying their stuff right away in anticipation of how popular that was going to be,” she said.
Bowman took inspiration from the Gaines’ style, which prompted the renovations of the 65,000-square-foot furniture store in Boones Creek. The first step of the overhaul began with Gaines’ signature painted rustic boards, known as shiplap, which replaced the drywall in the front of the store. The store also put in some new flooring, replacing the old carpet floors with vinyl that mimics hardwood floors.
For the latest phase of the renovations to the 25,000-square-foot main showroom in the center of the store, Bowman continued to use new flooring. Additional windows also were installed, giving the showroom more natural light, according to a press release from Zak’s.
Other features include stone columns and cowhides used as wall hangings, but the highlight of the recent renovations is the raw, multi-colored barn wood that has also been introduced.
According to the release, these new renovations give the store a more homey feel, giving consumers more of an image of what the furniture would look like inside their homes.
"A digital presence is vital to any business today, but we still want our Zak's' customer who walks through the door to have an unforgettable shopping experience; a concept that Zak's vows never to change," Bowman said in the release.