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Chellie Peterson
Chellie Peterson, owner of Ashley Furniture Homestore located at 161 Mill St., plans to open Comfort Zone in August in the space next to Tess' Kitchen Store.
Comfort Zone will feature La-Z-Boy Recliners and Motion Furniture, along with Ashley entertainment furnishings.
Peterson is expanding because she has the opportunity to bring the La-Z-Boy brand into her product mix. It's a return to a staple of the family's former business, Hedman Furniture.
“I am absolutely thrilled about the new store,” Peterson said. “I used to sell La-Z-Boy at Hedman Furniture. I am very familiar with it, and it has marvelous quality.”
Opening a new store may be difficult during the recession, but Peterson sees reason for hope.
“I see an upward swing,” Peterson said. “It seems that the customer is more confident, which is what the turn in consumer sales is reflecting.”
Peterson and her family owned Hedman Furniture for 35 years, but closed after Peterson's husband Bill experienced health problems in October 2007. It was the store's 50th year.
But she found retirement not to her liking, so Peterson opened Ashley Furniture. Because of the furniture store's convenient business model for a small entrepreneur; she thought it would be a great fit for Nevada County.
A fourth generation Peterson, her 17-year old grandson Alex, works in the Ashley warehouse and will be a senior at Nevada Union High School.
“I love the fact that it is a family store,” Peterson said.
Comfort Zone will feature La-Z-Boy Recliners and Motion Furniture, along with Ashley entertainment furnishings.
Peterson is expanding because she has the opportunity to bring the La-Z-Boy brand into her product mix. It's a return to a staple of the family's former business, Hedman Furniture.
“I am absolutely thrilled about the new store,” Peterson said. “I used to sell La-Z-Boy at Hedman Furniture. I am very familiar with it, and it has marvelous quality.”
Opening a new store may be difficult during the recession, but Peterson sees reason for hope.
“I see an upward swing,” Peterson said. “It seems that the customer is more confident, which is what the turn in consumer sales is reflecting.”
Peterson and her family owned Hedman Furniture for 35 years, but closed after Peterson's husband Bill experienced health problems in October 2007. It was the store's 50th year.
But she found retirement not to her liking, so Peterson opened Ashley Furniture. Because of the furniture store's convenient business model for a small entrepreneur; she thought it would be a great fit for Nevada County.
A fourth generation Peterson, her 17-year old grandson Alex, works in the Ashley warehouse and will be a senior at Nevada Union High School.
“I love the fact that it is a family store,” Peterson said.
Gabrielle Irvin in a University of Nevada student interning at The Union. To contact her, e-mail girvin@theunion.com or call 477-4811.
