RICHMOND — Whether you want to shop for a new sofa or dine out, there’s a new furniture store in Richmond where you can do both.
The Roanoke-based custom furniture brand (pronounced texture) has arrived in Manchester, and the brand’s unique showroom concept is far from your average furniture store.
Txtur invites you to experience the furniture as you would in your own home and encourages guests to touch, feel and experience the displays in the showroom, which also features its own restaurant called Stock Bistro & Bar. Txtur has a similar setup in downtown Roanoke in the renovated former Fire Station No. 1 at 13 Church Ave. S.E.
“Take your drink, take your food, sit and enjoy it,” said Sarah Turnage, project manager. “How would it feel if it was in your home and you were sitting in your living room having movie night or guests over? That’s the biggest thing for us going forward is focusing on the experience.”
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Located in the old Seaboard Air Line facility at 604 Hull St., the showroom’s design takes influence from Manchester’s rich history of production and manufacturing.
Txtur offers an extensive range of high-end materials, including a wide selection of fabrics, leathers and woods. Each piece is made-to-order in its Roanoke factory, and everything is customizable, allowing customers to explore different styles.
“We literally make everything,” said Greg Terrill, CEO. “We start with raw lumber, fabric and foam, and that’s all we bring into our plant.”
The core of the company began in 1932 with Terrill’s grandfather, an artist and woodcarver in Ohio. The Txtur brand launched three years ago as a way to connect local craftsmen with a consumer base.
“We have 200 talented craftspeople in our plant. They fought a tough battle over the past 20 years because everything went offshore. We’ve decided to just stay on shore and keep going. We started Txtur as our chance to take the talent of these craftspeople and connect them directly with the people who enjoy the furniture,” Terrill said.
The unique showroom concept is curated to make you feel at home. Couches, chairs, tables and ottomans are displayed as family living room-style areas. Shelves carry a variety of pillows and candles from local brands like Lineage Candles.
The brand is upscale. Smaller pieces like ottomans start at $155, and larger pieces like sofas can cost around $5,000.
Txtur also offers upcycling. If you make a purchase and decide years later that you’re ready for a change, you can return the furniture to be upcycled and receive a credit toward something new.
“There’s incredible durability. You can actually return it to us, and we will remanufacture it completely. We completely reupholster the frame and make it available to somebody at a discount. We’re trying to avoid that fast furniture world where everything is on a one-way trip from the resource to landfill. Plus, it’s kind of a neat thing, because, every time we have an upcycle piece for sale, its sells immediately and it often sells to a young person who’s maybe on a little tighter budget and, to me, it’s like we’re bringing them into the family,” Terrill said.
The showroom in both cities is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
Stock’s menu features appetizers like fried gouda spring rolls ($12), boards with house smoked, pickled and cured fish, and cheeses ($28), as well as full entrees such as steak ($33) and trout ($28).
Stock also offers Nordic-inspired cocktails, using Manchester brands like Belle Isle Moonshine and house-made syrups. The beverage director’s favorite drink is Flowers on the James, featuring Hendrick’s gin, elderflower liqueur, lemongrass syrup, grapefruit juice and house-made margarita mix.
For guests who visit to check out the restaurant, Terrill said, “They’ll have dinner on a Friday night and have a good time. And when they do need a sofa, they’re gonna remember and they’re gonna come back.”
Chelsea Jackson (804) 649-6965