Charlton Furniture
Providing upscale quality designer furniture to the community for 50 years
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

Karen Legendre stands next to a Harden tall chest in Old Tavern finish, while Susan LeBlanc sits in an accent chair. PHOTO/ANGELA GREINER

Region - For more than 50 years Charlton Furniture has been decorating homes in the communities of Worcester County and Metrowest with aff ordable high-end furniture. The family-owned and -operated furniture store was established by Joseph Pikul, whose business was built with an impeccable reputation based on total commitment to customer service and satisfaction.

The business is run today by Joseph's children, David Pikul and Susan LeBlanc, who have carried on the tradition of providing quality upscale furniture in an array of styles. David and Susan stood by their father's commitment to quality, but they took the store and expanded it to three buildings of showrooms featuring styles to fit most tastes.

The three showrooms off er a wide variation in style such as Traditional 18th-century formal, Transitional Styling, French country, Mission, American classic and European.

The store is also currently redecorating one of the showrooms to be a leather gallery featuring lines like Bradington Young and Hancock Moore. Whether customers are looking for an "entertainment armoire" for the bedroom with a flat-screen TV hidden behind a mirror or a hand-carved corner hutch, Charlton Furniture is the store.

The original showroom has been renovated into a showcase gallery where shoppers can browse through countless pieces of solid fashionable furniture designed by American companies such as Harden and "Nichols and Stone."

"Both of these companies," Susan said, "are some of the finest quality that we carry, with true craftsmanship."

She explained that the "Case Goods" products, such as armoires, dining room sets and accents tables, are made of beautiful solid woods with dovetailed joints and finished using a custom process.

According to Susan, it is important to Charlton Furniture as a company to retail American-made items.

Charlton Furniture carries several lines of fine upholstered furniture with extensive luxurious fabric choices to completely customize each item to the individual taste of the customer. Susan also explained that the store off ers a complimentary in-home design service for customers who might be overwhelmed with the choices and decisions of matching fabrics, paint and style.

The store currently employs a staff of 20 knowledgeable sales agents who are capable of walking the first-time buyer or the interior designer through the lines of furniture designs and choices that the store off ers.

According to staff member Karen Legendre, the store has a fun atmosphere and the sales agents like to create a warm and comfortable environment for all customers.

Metrowest customers will find that the 20-minute ride west on Route 20 will yield prices that are up to 40 percent less than suggested retail. Furniture shoppers can hardly aff ord to skip the trip.

For store hours or more information about Charlton Furniture or the Southbridge warehouse, visit the Web site at www.Charltonfurniture. com or call 508-248-5566. The store is located on Dresser Hill Road, Route 31, in Charlton.

Editor's Note: the preceding is not an endorsement and is presented for informational purposes only.