Have you ever wondered what happens to all that old furniture in the tens of thousands of hotel rooms in Las Vegas when the casinos decide to replace it? Or maybe you’ve stayed at a nice hotel and thought, “Wow, this couch would look great at my place!”
A Home in Moab, a bargain and resale furniture store that recently opened up three miles south of town may be just the place where you can find that couch you fell in love with at the Bellagio.
“One of our sources is a big liquidator in Vegas, so we have some stuff from casinos. Right now we have a polka-dotted chair from the Bellagio,” said Frank Schramm, the manager of A Home in Moab.
Schramm moved to Moab from Eugene, Ore. earlier this year to run A Home in Moab for his old friend, Katy Gullette. The two first met and became fast friends 25-years ago when they were both working in politics in Oregon.
Gullette came to Moab seven years ago from Oregon, where she had owned a resale-clothing store. Since her arrival in Moab, Gullette has done well for herself in business. She owns and manages rental properties in town, including the Kokopelli Lodge and the Inn Towner Lodge. She is now building 16 eco-friendly rental units next to Jeffrey’s Steak House. She runs her rentals with the help of her friend and business partner, Wendy Lowder.
Gullette’s idea for A Home in Moab came from a combination of factors.
“I love home décor and I used to have a yearly garage sale for all the stuff from my properties. It was really popular so I came to the realization that there is a need for this (kind of store),” she said.
Schramm also has a background in second-hand goods. In Eugene he ran Gullette’s second-hand clothing store for about seven years. The experience that he gained in the resale and recycling business has been a big help in running the new furniture store.
“We are getting people to look at the value in things. To spare the planet by repurposing items and encouraging people to recycle,” said Schramm.
Shopping for furniture near the old cement plant south of town may feel out of place. But that old truck that marks the dirt drive leading to A Home in Moab is all part of the appeal.
“It’s cool to come out here and have trouble finding the place. That’s part of the beauty in resale, if you can find it, you’re ahead of the curve,” Schramm said.
The 4,000-square-foot showroom, which used to be the brewery for Eddie McStiff’s, may be hard to find, but it certainly hasn’t slowed down business.
“Things really move in there. If you see it you’ve got to get it or it will be gone by next time,” said Liz Lightner, a frequent customer who has already referred upwards of ten people to the store.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Gullette said with a laugh. “We will be unloading stuff and people are standing outside the truck and offering to help just to get the first look.”
“We buy a roomful of items and in half a day it’s gone,” Schramm said. “But we help out our customers; we have a call list so if someone requests something we call them when it comes in.”
So to make sure there is enough stock to keep the doors open, A Home in Moab buys furniture from about a dozen regional sources. They try to find sellers and liquidators that are as close to Moab as possible because the cost of freight ends up being about half the cost of the furniture. Gullette also likes to purchase used furniture from local individuals and families.
And though much of what A Home in Moab sells is second-hand, they also have plenty of new items. Much of the décor that they sell is from suppliers that also sell to the likes of Pier 1 and Pottery Barn.
“We fill a void between WabiSabi and retail stores like Knowles,” Schramm said.
“It’s a great addition to Moab, it’s definitely something we needed here,” Lightner said.
At Home in Moab
New and used furniture and home furnishing store
Thurs.- Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 12-5pm
2182 Hwy. 191 S.
