Photo by Studio 828 Photography
“While most 16-year-olds were working at McDonald’s, I was learning how to lay tile in a spec house,” says April Gahagan-Fore, whose grandparents and father were general contractors. She is the vice president and principal designer of Furniture Specialties, the upholstered-furniture crafting, repair, and restoration company she owns with her husband Bryan. Their spacious, sunny new design center and showroom is replete with possibilities for the residential shopper.
“As neighbors [Bryan and I] grew up together,” reveals Gahagan-Fore, “but reconnected many years after graduating Erwin High.” Sustaining such formative relationships is a skill she brings to her business every day.
Even a quick glance at your website reflects a business that serves diverse niches.
That’s right. If our customer can imagine it, we can build it, and if it’s broken, we can fix it … whether the piece is a prized antique or damaged by fire or flood. We also offer reupholstering services. Our furniture is all American-made, with many North Carolina components — our springs come from Hickory and our cushions from High Point.
I’m quite excited about our new retail showroom, too. It’s a place where customers can try out our upholstered pieces that have, until now, only been “available to the trade.” The ability to touch something I’m considering buying is important to me.
What’s a typical “day in the life?”
We manage full renovations and design-builds, and work with contractors to bring their clients’ projects to life. Our residential-to-commercial client base is about 50-50 now. We design many homes from scratch for clients who build second homes in the mountains. It’s a fun process where we really dig into client personality, needs, and taste, along with practical issues like ensuring the layout will work or a custom-made chair will fit into its designated place. “All in a day’s work” could mean repurposing a client’s dining table by making new chairs, or providing all the textiles for a home — from bedding to drapes.
You’ve made your mark on downtown Asheville’s eatery scene, too.
I’m working on the Noble Cider project now, and I’ve had a hand in most of downtown’s restaurants, including Wicked Weed, Twisted Laurel, and Chestnut. I help interior designers realize their visions by sourcing what they want to create these spaces. We make custom-built booths and focus on upholstered furniture only, as opposed to case goods. It’s a fun challenge.
Biggest myth is about hiring an interior designer?
That we’re only for the affluent. We save clients money through our hard-won experience and tricks of the trade. Before I worked with her, one client ordered a sofa from a popular online retailer, only to discover on delivery day that the box couldn’t make it through her older home’s stairwell. The piece was damaged in the process, and there are no returns on damaged items from this company. She started all over with me — but I want to help clients avoid these experiences. The personal touch is still necessary, even in this e-commerce era.
Something clients should know about your approach to design?
Design can’t just look good — it needs to work for everyday life. Most of us live with pets and kids; I have teens myself. We make our clients’ homes beautiful and highly functional.
Little-known designer superpower?
We’re translators of sorts, mediators between clients and contractors, tradespeople and other industry professionals.
Recent challenge?
Before working with us, a client wanted Pinterest-sourced, sophisticated gray interior walls. After the job was completed, the color went really blue. We helped fix this, and it proved my joke that Pinterest can be the devil!
We’ve heard Furniture Specialties even designs pieces for embassies around the world?
Yes, we’ve crafted beds that ambassadors sleep on from Bogotá to Bangkok.
And yet your inspiration is decidedly local …
We live on a 60-acre farm; it’s my sanctuary. I love to sit on the porch and see what colors nature puts together. Two recent combinations were the bright green of fresh grass with sage-colored dried hay, and my new turquoise weathervane on our red barn. Our land is where I can close my eyes and think — ideas come from that.
Furniture Specialties Inc., 7 Ramsey Road, Asheville. For more information, call 828-683-1177 or see furniturespecialtiesinc.com.