A Legacy of Style

Maybe you’ve never been in. Maybe you’ve been a customer for decades. Either way, when you step through the red double doors and into the welcoming showroom of Verbarg’s Furniture and Design, you’ll be treated like family.

When Harold Verbarg began his career many years ago making furniture at age 15, he surely couldn’t have predicted the legacy he’d be crafting as well. Since the first Verbarg’s location opened in Amelia in 1978, and then expanded to Kenwood in 1996, the business’s legacy has been built on a foundation of family and quality.

The business is most certainly a family affair. All five of the Verbarg daughters have been involved in the business at some point in their lifetimes—four of them still play an active role in the day-to-day operations. The entire family is dedicated to quality and style.

Harold Verbarg’s daughter, Sheri Mitchell, who has been working for the family business in an official capacity since 1987, says the store is about so much more than sales.

“We want you to feel like you’re not just walking into a store that has 20 locations across the country. We want you to feel like this is an experience where you can become part of our family, too.”

She notes that when her father first started the business, his mission was to offer the best quality furniture at the best possible price, and this continues to be their goal. Over the years, Sheri has noticed that so much of what people purchase from them stays within families.

“Most of the things we sell are going to last people’s lifetimes or longer. So if you buy something from us, you’re probably going to have it forever. You’ll probably get tired of it before it wears out or you pass it along to your children.” –Sheri Mitchell

Now some of those children are Verbarg’s customers too, and the new generation has shifted away from more traditional styles.

“The style has changed a lot. Now, there is a spin on traditional ... it tends to be more transitional,” Sheri notes.

So what’s the difference between traditional and transitional? Traditional pieces would tend toward brighter, patterned fabrics like florals and softer lines like camelbacks and rolled arms, but now styles have moved to cleaner, streamlined shapes and neutral colors. If you lean more toward a contemporary, clean-lined look but not an ultra-modern or mid-century-modern feel, transitional furniture may be something to consider. A piece’s finish might also signal a more transitional style.

“You’re going to see a lot of gray finishes in the wood, not just in the fabric. And it’s more of a matte finish rather than a glossy surface.”

Other current trends are customizable fabric headboards. Deep blues that are sometimes so close to black they become neutrals. Pieces like sofas and chairs with curves to add visual interest. Smaller-scale pieces are popular with those who are downsizing. Sheri has noticed trends moving into more of a lifestyle look.

“People are trying to feel comfortable but not cluttered, and I don’t see that going away anytime soon.”

That evolution is keeping Verbarg’s fresh, and they are happy to both stay on-trend and offer custom services to please even the most discerning designer’s eye. Many of their pieces allow for multiple options from special fabrics and finish to legs, arms, backs and more. Sheri says nearly 80 percent of their current sales are customized—and suggests it’s a great way to try something new while also coming away with a unique piece that fits your own style, personality and need.

Here are a few quick tips to select furniture for your space:

1. Measure, measure, measure! Always measure your space and the pieces you’re considering before purchase. Shop with measurements in hand.

2. Love it or leave it. Go with what you love, not just what someone suggests. If you love it, you’ll likely continue to love it once it’s in your home.

3. Avoid matching too closely. Mixing styles and colors can offer interest and dimension.

4. Don’t overpower a room. It’s easy to buy a sofa that is too large for a room. Use measurements to find the proper dimensions.

5. Scale is everything. When buying multiple pieces outside of a set, prioritize selecting similar scale over similar styles.

6. Less is more. Start with the largest piece in the room such as a sofa or bed, and then add or take away to find the perfect fit.

7. Get creative. Add wood tables with metal, tile or leather accents. Consider an unusual statement piece for a coffee table. Or skip traditional coffee tables and choose an upholstered ottoman in a coordinating patterned fabric to pull a room together.

8. Go neutral. Choose neutral-colored pieces with clean lines for larger, more expensive items like sofas, and change out accessories or smaller items such as colorful accent chairs to freshen the look in the future.

9. Don’t delay on fabric choices. Styles remain similar, but fabric options change rapidly.