Retailer combines big-box prices with boutique attention
BY SUSAN KELLY
Shopping for furniture can be an either-or experience. Either you cast yourself adrift in a sea of choice at big-box stores, or you get the personal attention of a boutique.
Decorium offers the best of both worlds. “We like to say we’re big enough to bring you great value but small enough to care,” says Steve Forberg, principal at this purveyor of fine furniture and home accessories. There are 100,000 square feet to navigate at the Supertest Rd. showroom, making it one of Canada’s largest family-owned furniture stores. Many customers go for the attractive pricing but stay for the surprisingly warm and welcoming environment.
The immense floor space is divided into specialty departments with room vignettes designed to pique the imagination and make visitors want to sit and linger. Displays are updated as new products are added weekly. At the helm is the Forberg family’s third generation in the furniture business. Steve and his brother, Howard, run Decorium, continuing the tradition of providing fine furniture and personal service that was established by their father, Joe, in 1986. Their know-how is coupled with forward thinking that keeps the selection on top of the trends.
Knowing many people prefer an intimate shopping experience close to the city core, the Forbergs opened a second location in 2013. The 9,000-square-foot design boutique is on Yonge St. in the heart of Rosedale. It has garnered rave reviews for the curated collections aimed at shoppers with upscale urban tastes.
Half of the 16 sales consultants on staff are interior designers. Their services are provided free of charge, in-store or at clients’ homes. They can assist with everything from room layout and colour schemes to furniture selection, placement and finishing touches, whether a project is a single room or an entire house.
“A customer can literally walk in with an idea and walk out with their whole room completed,” says Forberg. Love that gorgeous tufted ottoman, but need it four inches larger than what you see on the floor? Custom work is a specialty, and if you need a certain look, Decorium will make it happen. You can also shop and get design tips online at Decorium.com; the company ships all products worldwide.
Forberg believes it’s the people who set his company apart. “We have a history as a family-owned business,” he says. “We’ve built lasting relationships with both our customers and with many generations of suppliers.”
