More Than Meets The Eye...

Behind the staircase of the newly titled, Cecil Diaz Hair, (previously the Mendham Spa) you will find a hidden treasure: Fun House Furnishings & Design. Although we have been here for two-and-a-half years, many people are still walking through our doors for the very first time, and others have yet to even discover us. Lots of people who walk in often ask if what we have on the floor is even for sale. Not only are we a full interior design studio, but we also carry a variety of items ranging from hostess gifts to dining room tables. We just finished building a second interior design studio, now located in the back of the store, due to our booming design client business. 

Walking through our doors and browsing through the store can often be overwhelming for some people. There are so many beautiful things packed tightly, yet methodically, into an 1,800 square foot space. When we are merchandising the store, sometimes it is difficult for us to remember that we are a store, and our vignettes do not have to be exactly what we would do in someone's actual home. We try to set up our store in a way that customers walking in can picture the set up in their home. Fun House carries products that vary in pricing and quality. Although we would love to have the fantastic custom acrylic $20,000 coffee table on the floor for people to see, it is just not practical. It is also important to remember that when you are searching for an item, whether it be a sofa or kitchen chairs, that we have easy access to so much more than what you see on the floor. A big part of my job as the store manager is to not only strive to offer a well-kept and fully stocked store, but also to personally search for products that meet individual needs (price range, color, size, durability, etc). For example, a client recently came in looking for two living room sofas. The chic slip-covered Lee sofa we have on the floor was exactly the color palette and style she were looking for, however she had two dogs and three children, and a husband; all of whom would be using the sofa on a daily basis. The fabric on our sofa is Lee Luxe Linen, which although beautiful and of the highest quality, also happens not to be washable. This  particular sofa was also a few inches too large. Well, with some thorough research on my part, I was able to discover that this Lee sofa is also available in an apartment size, and that 3" less turned out to be the perfect size for the customer. We also keep all the Lee fabric samples in the back of our store, conveniently located on built-in racks, which makes flipping through very easy. I was able to help the customer narrow down her fabric selection to two linens, both of which were washable and well priced. The customer took home the fabric samples to see them in the room, and made her choice. This just goes to show that sometimes it is worth asking if there are other options available! Many of the pieces we carry are customizable, and come in variety of finishes and styles. 

Another well kept secret of Fun House is that we carry an array of different bedding lines! Unfortunately we don't have the space to always have a bed on the floor, but we do hope that you will ask about our bedding. We have a ton of samples and easy access to pricing. The lines we carry include Legacy Linens, Dransfield and Ross House, John Robshaw, Nancy Koltes, Wildcat Territory, and Missoni Home. We are happy to help you select the bedding that is right for your room based on paint colors, photos, fabric samples, etc. Take a look at some examples below: 

Dransfield & Ross House

Dransfield & Ross House

Wildcat Territory "Amanda" 

Legacy Linens "Saint Barts" 

Legacy Linens "Bailey Cove Indigo" 

John Robshaw "Madura Neela"

John Robshaw "Tula" 

Nancy Koltes "Valley Forge"

Nancy Koltes "Monet"

Missoni Home "Norah" 

In the back of our store you will find shelves filled with wallpaper books. These books are open to the public and anyone can come look through them anytime. We can always order samples and get pricing. 

We are also happy to help with finding the perfect rug. We carry a few Capel Rugs here at the store that are for sale, but we also have samples of well-priced sisal rugs, and access to tons of other rugs from various vendors. In fact, our rep from Patterson, Flynn & Martin in New York City brought us some samples this morning of stunning Mary McDonald carpets, among others. All of these rugs are completely customizable! These are the type of rugs that you keep forever and hand down to your children because they are so special. Take a look at some our favorites that we saw this morning: 

Mary McDonald "Parterre"

Mary McDonald "Brighton Lane"

David Kleinberg "Alanya Herringbone"

David Kleinberg "Strath Blane"

So, just remember, whether you are looking for the perfect host/hostess gift, or a new mirror for your bedroom, Fun House has got you covered. Searching and finding the perfect product is what I am best at, and whether you work with Jane, Jennifer, Gabby, Margaux, or myself,  we are all always willing to help!

Until next time, Fun House Fans!

Written By: Chelsea Caldwell