John Reed said last week the former Port Motors location in Roslyn was the perfect place for the home furnishings company Arhuas to open its first store on Long Island.
“Not only was the property the perfect location for us in the area, but the original building was rich in history and we wanted to preserve some of this to enhance the overall customer experience,” said Reed, the company’s CEO.
“The building will be used to showcase Arhaus’ home furnishings, while the newly attached orangery with a combination of French and English-inspired parterres will be used to merchandise the retailer’s outdoor furnishings and seasonal décor,” he said.
Company officials said the freestanding building at 15 Port Washington Blvd. will showcase sofas, sectionals and chairs wrapped in the finest leathers and custom order fabrics; dining tables and chairs for indoors and out; outdoor upholstery and accents; drapery; antiques and replicas; bedroom furniture and private label bedding collections; pillows and throws; library and office solutions; wall units and an assortment of media centers for hi-tech gadgets; rugs; tabletop; lighting; and a large assortment of seasonal accessories.
“Our build-out is like no other in the industry,” Reed said. “We invest a great deal of time creating an environment that not only appeals to the shopper, but maintains our trademark look and feel.”
Company officials also said area customers would appreciate that nearly 50 percent of the store’s collections are made of recycled material — everything from glass, to metals like copper and wood cast off from far off lands.
“It’s our first location on Long Island and we think there’s a huge customer base here. It’s a coastal region with a lot of vacation homes” said Gary Babcock, Arhaus’ chief creative officer who was directly involved with the redesign of the historic building.
Babcock said the design of the Roslyn store is different from the typical Arhaus store because of the building it occupies.
“The design of the store is different because it used to be an airplane hanger in the 1800s and we’ve repurposed it while keeping the feel of the store,” Babcock said.
The new store occupies two stories with an attached orangery connected via a portico for a combined footprint of 19,750 square feet, has been turned into a conservatory and a mezzanine with glass windows.
“I like the building for its architectural feel. It’s one of a kind,” Babcock said.
Arhaus opened its first retail location in Cleveland in 1986 when Reed’s father vowed never to use wood from the world’s endangered rainforests in the making of an Arhaus design, company officials said.
According to Reed, the company works directly with artisans all over the world with all its upholstery hand-assembled in North Carolina, more than 60 percent of the overall assortment, across categories, is made in America and this number is growing.
