For Roberto Garcia, owner of Contemporary Designs in Hopewell, the furniture business is a family affair.
“The furniture business has been in my family for a long time, I want to keep it that way. If I have kids, I want them to take over the business one day too,” he said.
His grandparents, Sid and Adriana Shaw, opened their first furniture store in Wayne in 1963. Their business expanded, with four total locations- two in New Jersey and two in New York- but by 1991 they decided to split up the business.
Garcia’s parents, Jimena and Michael Hajek, moved to Central New Jersey to open a store in Kingston. A few years later they moved to Montgomery, where they stayed for 15 years. They closed that store in April 2011.
Garcia, who went to school for business management, decided that this was his chance to continue the family business. On June 1, he opened Contemporary Designs.
He chose to open his own store Hopewell to be close to his parents and because he liked the feel of the town.
“The town is so historic and well-maintained. The people here are so friendly, they’re the kind of people I want to be around,” he said.
Garcia’s furniture expertise began in the sixth grade when he would work with his father at their family’s store. He learned to build furniture, delivered the furniture to their customers, and later went on to attend conferences to find the furniture vendors they wanted to use at their store.
Growing up under the tutelage of his parents gave Garcia valuable insight into how to run a business.
“School helped me with how to manage things like filing and paperwork, but the furniture itself and dealing with the customers I learned from my parents. I was raised into it; I learned so many things you can only learn from your family. My mom taught me a lot with sales, and by working hands on with my father, he taught me a lot about the pieces of furniture” he said.
Contemporary Designs sells a range of furniture, from bedroom pieces to office sets. The furniture is usually of Danish influence, sleek, clean and of high quality, something that Garcia finds extremely important.
“I want a customer to come in and get a piece of furniture that is going to last. My goal is for them to pick out a great set of furniture from me and in a few years come back to furnish another room. I’ve had customers come to our store saying they still use their furniture 15 years after they bought it,” he said.
Garcia allows customers to mix and match the styles they like so that they are not forced into buying whole sets. With furniture from Vermont, Canada, Italy, and Denmark, customers have a large selection to choose from.
Garcia is constantly seeking to update his selection as well, most recently acquiring a chair by a Chilean based company, made from the same leather used in Audi cars. His store is the only store in the United States to carry these items.
From furniture selection to delivery, Garcia is involved with every aspect of the business. Right now, he is offering promotion for free delivery and set-up, as well as 20 percent off of a purchase over $1,100.
With such strong family roots, Garcia wants his customers to feel like they’re family too.
“I’ve had customers who’ve known me since I was a little boy. I’ve had customers who’ve asked us over for dinner before. For me, it’s not just another customer. I want everyone to feel like family.”
Contemporary Designs is located at 33 West Broad Street in Hopewell. On the Web: contemporary-designs.com.
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