FAIRMONT —
When Louis Spatafore, president of Friendly Furniture, brought in Kathy Rowh for an interview six months ago, he knew he had found the perfect fit for his company.
From Florida to Maine, Rowh has worked in several job sectors that have given her a variety of perspectives on home decorating.
In the business, she has observed that more and more people are making a connection between their personal style and their home, which she said is very important.
“Even though we have a lot of modern conveniences that our grandparents and their parents didn’t have, we also have a lot of stress,” Rowh said. "To be able to come home to a home that reflects us, that comforts us, that feels like us, is a big stress reducer, and I think that people are really starting to get that.”
Starting Saturday, June 23, an opportunity will be extended for those who are interested in learning more about home decorating. A home decorating class will be open and free of charge to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be held twice a month on Saturdays. Light refreshments will be provided.
“Even people that have some of the most beautiful homes, there's always something in the house they don't like and they just don't know what to do with,” Rowh said. “They just can't figure it out. There are a lot of people that have very, very good taste, but they need someone that has a skill to be able to show them what they’re missing.”
Offering a class like this is a first for Friendly Furniture during its 34-year history. All along, Spatafore had envisioned providing this opportunity to his customers but never had the leadership that would make it possible — until Rowh came along.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “I think we’re going to get people who have a lot of interest in their homes that want to come and share the ideas. Kathy is highly qualified to be able to present this class, and I’m just anxious for it. I think it’s going to be a great thing.”
In this class, Rowh will be discussing everything that entails home decorating, including furnishing, painting, flooring, and indoor and outdoor decorating. Whether it’s that outdated 1970s brick wall they want to fix within their budgetary resources or fixing other appliances in the home, she wants the course to be informative and engaging.
“This will be an interactive class where people can literally get their question answered and find some good solutions, maybe make some new friends at the same time,” Rowh said.
Emphasizing that the course is not a business push for customers, Rowh wants to help people — free of charge.
“I feel like as a decorator that’s when you take all that good taste and you put it all together, so that it does what people want, so we’re really trying to help people do that.”
After the course on Saturday, she hopes that attendees will be able to have lunch with each other and start brainstorming ideas for their own homes as well as questions for the next session.
“We're going to see where it leads,” Rowh said. “I could see it being an ongoing, continuing program that the store offers. I'm not going to stop it for any particular reason. As long as the customers want to do it, I am willing to do it.”
For those who are interested in attending the class, visit Friendly Furniture or call them at 366-9113.
Email Nicole Lemal at nlemal@timeswv.com.
Business
Home decorating class set at Friendly Furniture
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