Real Deal Home Store

by Jodi Varnado

With autumn in full swing and winter just around the corner, there is no better time to bring the joy of the holiday season to our homes. We can finally embrace the chilly temperatures outside by bundling up on the front porch, gathering around the backyard bonfire, or inviting those we love inside for a warm meal around the dinner table. Real Deal Home Store is a wonderful one-stop shop for all of your decorating desires—inside and outside your home.

Owner and operator of Real Deal Home Store, Jim Powell, has served the LaFayette community for twentyfour years. “Our staff has over ninety-four years of combined experience designing floral arrangements and home decorating,” said Powell. Powell’s family are fourth generation retailers who work year-round to make every decorating season special.

Powell runs Real Deal Home Store with Tracy, his partner and wife of thirty-eight years. They can be found conversing with customers, along with their two daughters, Krista and Amanda, who represent Real Deal Home Store’s team of designers. When Powell is not at the store, you can find him teaching at Harbor Lights Church. “We have been serving for the last fifteen years, preaching the Word of God and pouring His love into the community,” said Powell. 22 // November 2021

“Our business is only an extension of the ministry the Lord has called us to, and a means for us to minister Christ’s love to the people who come through our doors.”

You will be welcomed into Real Deal Home Store with a friendly smile—a comforting shopping environment that is community and family focused. If you are lucky, you will even be greeted by Birdie, the Powell family’s 120-pound Anatolian Shepard/Great Pyrenees, who has her very own special space in the design area. You might even spot her behind the checkout counter helping with one of the family.

Since Real Deal Home Store opened in 1998, Powell and his family have specialized in personalized silk floral arrangements. These arrangements are handmade celebrations of life, available in a cemetery vase cone and a headstone saddle, that will showcase the beauty of your loved one forever. Sympathy flower arrangements start at $25, which is half the cost of competing suppliers. Real Deal Home Store can also deliver to local funeral homes, allowing for a more seamless process.

Although Real Deal Home Store is known for their unique services, the storefront is filled with décor items for every need, including small furniture pieces, wall hangings, tabletop accessories, candles, and gifts. What more could you ask for? Real Deal Home Store has it all. According to

their website, the Powell’s get new products every day and their broad selection changes with the seasons. “Because we’re always on the lookout to add unusual pieces to our collection, you’re sure to find some distinctive home accessories or holiday items!”

Among their handpicked selection, you can find the name brands you know and love, including deals on the latest Vera Bradley styles, essential toiletries from The Naked Bee, and cozy scents from Swan Creek Candle Co. and Thompson Candle Company. Real Deal Home Store is also home to the largest selection of Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide décor in the area, along with other collegiate teams—Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators—to aid your game day celebrations.

Even though the inside of our homes is important, we cannot forget about the outside too! If you are looking to spruce up your outdoor space with inviting seating, Real Deal Home Store has a large selection of outdoor furniture starting at $99, including giant cedar rockers, oak rockers, and 4–5-foot porch swings. There are hundreds of windchimes to choose from and garden accessories to accompany your flowers and harvest.

With Christmas spirit quickly approaching, Real Deal Home Store is prepared for the season. Their inventory includes 1000 rolls of Christmas ribbon, thousands of Christmas ornaments, and the largest selection of Christmas flowers and homemade arrangements in the surrounding LaFayette area. You can come to the store to see their decorated Christmas trees and receive decorating tips from Real Deal Home Store’s team of designers. They are currently taking special orders for Christmas and their designers can help you decorate your garland and wreaths now! Real Deal Home Store is welcoming this beloved decorating season with a Christmas Open House on Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6.

You can visit Real Deal Home Store at 315 N Main St, LaFayette, GA 30728 every Monday-Saturday from 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM. You can browse their newly remodeled website at www.realdealdecor.com or follow them on Facebook at @RealDealHomeStoreLafayette for the latest inventory updates. For more information, you can email Real Deal Home Store at powellswholesale@yahoo.com or call 706-639-3310.

We hope to see you there! Real Deal Home Store