Elegance By Design

Elegance by Design’s front windows tempt me every time I walk by. In a world of dime a doze saggy sofas and overstuffed couches, their hard woods and rich textiles always lure my eye. Their merchandise is like a tall, sophisticated brunette in a little black dress lounging among the unwashed scruff-​ians at Rosie’s. And just like that untouchable moll, I hesitated to go in for something I knew was well outside my price point.
The watchword here is quality work from leading designers probably little known outside the interior design world, many of them from the heartland of American furniture making in North and South Carolina. They do plenty of custom designs in house, so much so that Elegance by Design is expanding in summer 2013 to a larger facility on the Nine Mile and Woodward corridor. That very situation opened up possibility for me – a liquidation sale of their coveted pieces. Unfortunately I came in a bit late to get the drop on the juiciest deals that matched my desired style, but we hemmed and hawed over a beautiful mélange sofa of leather and tapestry fabric in caramels, golds, and chocolate brown, and its matching padded chaise counterpart. Rolled wood and thick padding beg a girl to swoon. At the end of the day, I had to leave those beauties behind because they just didn’t match anything we already own.
The showroom contains a lot of showstoppers: a gorgeous black four-​poster bed with sharp posters and sleek lines, the leather sectional that was snapped up for a song. Prices can definitely seem high for the shopper accustomed to IKEA and other lower end stores. In this day of mass produced work, we really don’t know how much furniture actually costs and finding the happy medium below the stratospheric custom pieces and the mass produced is very hard. Elegance by Design staff are great barometers for matching lifestyle to needs. In particular, we were seduced totally by the huge range of upholstery fabrics that matched every colour and taste under the sun.
Sigh. I wish we’d found our lucky piece in here, especially for the bargains they offered. Fortunately a –great– many Ferndalers definitely have, and I’m so glad something as unique as this remains in the city and thrives.

Absolutely amazing! There it was in the window. A beautifully carved headboard with button detail in rich velvet fabric shaped as the back of a coach. I suggest you drive by and take a look at it. It’s right in the window. You won’t miss it! This store is truly the epitome of quality furniture. Since the furniture world has become so commercial it becomes difficult to distinguish quality. Note to self. Just because you pay a grip for something doesn’t make it the the poster child for craftsmanship. Even if you’re not in need of new furniture I beg of you to stop by any way. You’ll love the store and pick up tons of ideas for decorating. And the icing on the cake is that you’ll train your eye to distinguish a great piece of quality furniture.