Apple Crate Furniture Warehouse
Posted By LaurenI have been curious about the Apple Crate furniture store for years. At a time when I needed a quick fix for a bed, I was intrigued by the window ads for $299 futons with frames, but never enough to go in the store. I finally did it today.
This is probably the ugliest furniture store I have ever seen. The furniture isn’t ugly; it’s the building. The outside looks like a corner store to buy discounted cigarettes and booze if you’re underage. The main room looks more like a storage warehouse with mattresses stacked against the wall. When you enter the next room, there are clusters of furniture some in bedroom collections. The bedroom displays look like a sappy high school play set when the someone’s grandma is dying. Maybe it’s just the store’s ambience, but I couldn’t get comfortable on any of the mattresses, despite the neon pink sign above me that said “I feel good!” Or maybe Englander’s mattresses (the only brand the store seems to sell) are cheap for a very good reason.
Nevertheless, the actual furniture seems fine. The window display advertises, “Real wood furniture for pressboard prices.” Apple Crate buys whatever wood furniture is the best quality but cheapest. Right now it features a lot of pine pieces from Canada, however, there are also a number of hardwood items, including cherry and nutmeg. I didn’t see anything in the store for over $500. The wood furniture is very attractive, simple but aesthetic designs. In the very back of the room there are a few antique pieces for sale. The modern bedroom collections may be displayed with unpleasant backdrops, but I would be happy to have any of them in my room.
On the front window of the store, you will see a hand drawn cardboard cut out of a slightly balding superhero with glasses named Mattress Man. If you enter the dingy building a man with uncanny similarity will greet you with a smile and a joke. I’m not sure I’d buy a mattress from the Mattress Man, but you can be sure he will provide you with good customer service, and go check out the wood furniture.
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4 Responses to “Apple Crate Furniture Warehouse”
1 Camellia 17 November 2006 @ 1:25 pm
Dissagreeable and Incompetant Management
I had a terrible experience with Apple Crate Furniture when I commissioned two bookshelves. In order to have the units built to custom measurements, Apple Crate charged me $199 per unit. When I came in to pick up the shelves, they had not been built to the measurements we had discussed, and would therefore not fit in my space. The proprietor, Jay, refused to fix the bookshelves or to refund my money, and did not even apologize for screwing up the order. We had to rebuild the shelves ourselves dispite having paid almost $400 for “custom” shelves.
2 Lauren 20 November 2006 @ 1:22 am
Thank you for sharing your experience. It helps other readers make informed decisions.
3 Todd 7 January 2007 @ 10:13 am
This is one case where you can judge a book by it’s cover. I live in the neighborhood and made a conscious decision to buy a mattress from “mattress man” to support a local business. Boy was I wrong. While other sleep centers offer a comfort exchange, at Apple Crate they won’t take merchandise back if you’re unhappy with it, and they won’t discolse it up front. Instead he’ll talk down to you like a child and insult you. Customer service, not. All this guy sees walking through the door are dollars, not customers. Don’t be his next mark.
4 Megan 14 January 2007 @ 10:38 pm
I’m surprised to hear of such negative experiences at this store! When I bought my first home and moved into the area, the low prices and good furniture was perfect for me. I’ve stopped in a few times over the last 10 years, and the same quirky mom and pop are still running it. It may not be the most visually appealing store, haha, but I’ve referred many a friend over the years, and they’ve always said they were pleased.
Maybe the difference is I was happy with what I picked out…?
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