Peter Skaaning
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The INspiration furniture store in Pearlridge Center Uptown recently reopened after a three-week renovation that has brought the store up to date with its companion store in Honolulu, says Peter Skaaning, the company’s president and October 2003 MidWeek cover story subject.
The renovated store offers new features such as the Bargain Basement, where customers can find slightly nicked or scratched furniture and discontinued items at a discount. In addition, both stores (the other is at Honolulu Design Center) have added several services beyond the modern furniture showroom including interior design services, an in-house delivery service and a lighting store.
“It helps break the store up a bit,” says Skaaning. “It’s that kind of Neiman Marcus approach of taking care of everything rather than just selling the furniture and stopping there.”
He also mentions how easy it is for people to come to one store and get all their furniture. “It’s a one-stop shop.”
Skaaning says the store is often stigmatized because it carries high-end furniture. “What people don’t hear about is how we have queen-size beds for $349,” he says, “or lots of items we sell are very inexpensive, but still quality. We have couches starting at $849 up to about $50,000 and everything in between.”
Other than selling furnishings, INspiration at the Honolulu Design Center serves as a community haven throughout the day. “We like to think of ourselves as a ‘community base’ as well as a full on furniture store,” Skaaning says. He mentions the Cupola Theatre, the Crema Coffee Bar, the Ice Bar, the wine bar and the 5-star restaurant Stage, all of which are open to the public.
As far as the furniture market is concerned, Skaaning is confident about the store’s place in Honolulu and beyond. “The last 10 years have shown a great gain in popularity when it comes to contemporary furniture,” he says. “All recently built high-rises in Honolulu are done in a very contemporary style, from the exterior of the building type itself to the interior kitchen, bathrooms, etc. These condos are the ‘perfect fit’ for INspiration Furniture.
“We’ve had 10 years in the business, and we look forward to another 10.”
For more information, visit www.inspirationinteriors.com.
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