Sherman's

At long last, our house is graced with a new couch.

Pretty sure it would not qualify as a davenport though, which is one of those words Grandma always used.

Thanks to my readers, I got several good local furniture store ideas. The couch we decided to go with came from Sherman's in Peoria.

We visited Sherman's in early March. Willie, the gentleman who approached us, was very helpful, friendly and gave us no pressure. He had all the right answers at hand about where the couch was made (in the US, of course) and gave us print outs and final quotes on two couches we were considering.

We then went to a big box store where the salesman didn't seem to be listening to what we were saying we wanted and couldn't give us answers about where their couches were made, nor did he offer to go find out for us.

We were back at Sherman's later that day and made our fabric selection for both couch and pillows, paid and arranged delivery for a Sunday.

We ended up not choosing leather as our fabric, even though it was available. It didn't quite fit the look of this couch.

Plus, my friend D mentioned that leather is cold to sit on, which is one thing I hadn't considered, having never owned one before.

After she said that, I had visions of summer when you sit in a vinyl restaurant booth with shorts on, then feel like you left half the skin from your legs on the booth when you get up. Yikes!

Last Sunday, the appointed delivery day, we heard the delivery truck pull up outside and within 10 minutes our new couch was right at home in our living room.

Everyone we dealt with from Sherman's was friendly and helpful, and so far we're pleased with our purchase.

My only regret is that Grandma isn't around to give it a try.

Metro Plantation

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays was to stop by Village Plantation in Peoria's Sheridan Village to look at all the great furniture and holiday decor, so when I heard they were closing, I was disappointed.

I was glad to see Metro Plantation open in Peoria's Metro Centre.

I recently stopped in to have a peek.

The shop is smaller than the Sheridan Village location was, but is still filled with gifts, lamps, candles, home decor and a few furniture pieces.

I'll be back next month to look for some holiday gift ideas.

Homespun Gallery

On top of listening to some tunes by Joe Metzka this weekend, I also squeezed in some shopping, some dining at the Kaiserhof and another local joint I'll blog about later this week.
I did get a chance to check out the new Homespun Gallery in Washington, located at 110 S. Main Street in a newly-renovated building on the square.
The furniture featured in the store is more high-end, reproduction furniture built right here in the US. The furniture is made to order, so if you find a piece you like, you can even choose the color or finish to suit your taste. There are some beautiful wall units in the shop.
There are several gift items in the store, including some neat toys made in the USA.
I found some mittens, which I'm sure I'll need sooner or later this winter, despite the warm temps so far, made from leftover sweater scraps, by some adults with disabilities right here in the USA as well. The mittens are available in several sizes and colors.