Explore Home Magazine Fall/Winter 2023

N I N E T E E NT H E D I T I O N | FA LL / W I NT E R 2 0 2 3

Designer Made.

WITH ERIKA WARD

WEEKENDER

ALL-NEW MODERN

NOW AVAILABLE

PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE

TOP 10 MARKET HITS

Discover the all-new Modern offering with over 100 items for the whole home. Featuring earth tone finishes and organic textures, these new pieces will add warmth and comfort to any space.

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P R E - O R D E R AVA I L A B L E Receive early access through our B2B Storefront. Must have a qualified account.

Universalfurniture.com/newintroductions I

Designer Made.

WITH ERIKA WARD

After a long-awaited move to the suburbs, interior designer Erika Ward designs a comfortable and spacious lakeside home for her family of 8 with plenty of alfresco 4 UNIVERSALFURNITURE.COM | DESIGN LINE 877-804-5535

spaces to enjoy the mild Georgia weather.

Where is home?

I was born and raised in the city of Atlanta. As our family grew I yearned for suburban life, however I was unsure of the exact location. To accelerate the decision-making process, I moved our design studio to Fayetteville, Ga., to get a feel for the community. We loved it and my family and I later moved to the neighboring town of Peachtree City.

At what moment, or in what experience, did you decide to become an interior designer?

Growing up I developed an eye for interiors thanks to my grandmother Onetha. She wasn’t a trained decorator but she was very creative. I assisted her with a lot of things in our own home. My grandfather Lawrence was an architect. They primed me for what I’m doing now.

Tell me a little bit about your design firm. How long have you been in business?

Erika Ward Interiors is a full-service design studio and showroom. There’s a small, but mighty team of six. I started as a solopreneur after having my third child. At that time the business model was more of a consultancy service and no product offerings. Since 2008 we’ve experienced slow, steady growth. It’s sustainable for someone growing a family at the same time.

Tell me about your clients.

Our clients are busy professionals—from business owners to C-suite executives. We replace chaos with calm and provide concierge-level interior design and styling services for residences and smallscale commercial facilities.

Are most of your projects based in the South?

Yes, however we’ve had clients move as far west as Utah. So we’ve done work there, too. We want lifelong relationships with our clients.

How long have you been a customer of Universal Furniture? How were you introduced to them?

We’ve been Universal Furniture customers for about 7 years now. A colleague introduced me to the brand and described it as “designer friendly.” That’s most definitely been my experience.

Do you have any quotes that guide your business or your life?

If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? - John Wooden As a teenager my nightly responsibility was to clean the kitchen after dinner. I wanted nothing more than to get that task done so I could talk on the phone or watch TV. However, I vividly remember being awakened in the wee hours of the morning by my grandmother who’d returned to the kitchen to see I had done–in my words–a half-assed job. It didn’t take too many times of busting suds in the middle of night to learn this important lesson.

What are the most important qualities to have in a vendor/business partner?

Responsiveness. Communication is everything.

What makes Universal different, or stand out among other furnishing partners?

I love the range of styles and product lines from upholstery to casegoods and outdoor furnishings. I can always find what I want in stock with Universal.

Do you have some favorite lines or collections from Universal? Why do they get your vote?

We enjoy seeing new introductions from the Modern collection. It gets my vote because of the creative use of materials found in every piece of furniture.

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“

If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

– JOHN WOODEN

”

Do you visit the Universal showroom at High Point Market?

I visit the Universal showroom each time I attend market. I’m always inspired by their well-designed vignettes and their team goes the extra mile to style each room setting to the nines. My team always jokes that their showroom is move-in ready. Short of a kitchen and bathroom— it’s true!

What Makes Universal Furniture a good partner in design?

Universal Furniture makes it easy to give them our business. Their customer service is excellent and the products are well built and packaged properly for shipping.

Tell us about your outdoor spaces and how you transformed them.

Our lakeside home is truly a haven for our family. We have three main outdoor areas: the deck, the patio and the pool area. With Universal’s help, we transformed these spaces into inviting sanctuaries using the Coastal Living Outdoor Collection.

Open any of the doors to the rear of the house and walk out onto an open-air deck with multiple seating and dining options. We used the Montauk for one of the lounging areas and mixed the South Beach Dining Table with the Del Mar Dining Chairs. It has become the perfect spot for alfresco lunches and dinners while enjoying the beautiful lake breeze.

On the patio, we aimed to create an inviting space that calls us outdoors year-round. To achieve this we created two zones, one for dining and the other for lounging. The dining area features the South Beach Bar Table and coordinating bar chairs. The La Jolla Sofa and two well-appointed arm chairs comprise the lounging zone.

The highlight of our lakeside retreat is definitely the pool area. To complement the water’s edge, we chose the Geneva End Tables with their wave profile and opted for the resort-style Seneca Chaise Lounges.

How long did the project take?

Two-and-a-half months! We started in May 2023, and everything we wanted was

in stock or easily obtained. We didn’t do custom cushions because we needed a quick turnaround. At the half-way point of the project, around July Fourth, we had 40 people over for my daughter Brooke’s birthday party.

That speaks to the availability of the product.

Universal has enough product you like and IT’S AVAILABLE! We photographed the project in August.

Since that time, I’ve had existing clients at my house, and have gotten new outdoor jobs as a result! I’ve already placed the order. Having clients experience the furniture themselves was key. They can see I’m not recommending something I wouldn’t use myself.

You’ve worked with Universal Furniture for a long time. Over the years, what’s your favorite project you’ve completed using its furnishings?

I’m proud of all of the projects we’ve completed using Universal Furniture! I’m certainly biased but my own home has to be my absolute favorite!

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Weekender

AVAILABLE NOW

Photographer: Michael Blevins / mblevinsphoto.com

Coastal style is known for its light, relaxing and inviting nature. Capture this seamless simplicity with Weekender.

CoastalLivingHomeCollection.com

A S F E AT U R E D I N

RUE Magazine

Kerry Washington AT H O M E W I T H

A look inside actress Kerry Washington’s NYC home where every corner reflects her unique style. We love that Kerry incorporated Universal pieces to create a stylish retreat.

“

Having a home where we all feel comfortable and cozy - and inspired and safe and valued - it’s really important.

”

Jasper Bed

Stone Top Night Table Ligon Bench

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WHY CHOOSE

Special Order Upholstery

Imagine it.

Build it. See it.

Carefully crafted.

From the inside out.

Best seat in the house.

Our online draping tool allows you to build and see your creation come to life before you make any commitments.

Customize fabrics, finishes and nail head options on over 200 frames.

• All frames made with selected hardwoods and engineered hardwood laminates.

Choose from our standard Uniblend wrapped with a super soft fiber blend of 90% feathers and 10% down feathers to our Ultra Plush and Spring Down options.

• Heavy gauge sinuous wire springs provide comfort, superior suspension, and durability.

• Back cushions filled with Blown Dacron.

Performance Fabric From brands like Valdese Weavers, Crypton, Inside Out, LiveSmart and Revolution.

Showroom guests enjoyed first hand the comfort of our upholstery cushions.

WE JUST HAD TO SHARE! We love these inviting spaces by our interior design partners. Follow and tag us @UniversalFurn for the chance to be featured.

@collectivedesignbuild

@redbankdesigncenter

@melindachessoninteriors

@lada_webster

@boxwoodhomestaging

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TOP ten H P M K T FA L L 2 0 2 3

Items added to wishlists from the Fall Market Universal showroom

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NOIR CREDENZA MODERN

BIMINI CHEST

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DAXTON COCKTAIL TABLE

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C O A S TA L L I V I N G HOME WEEKENDER

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LINNEA BAR CABINET MODERN

MODERN

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DAYBREAK BED

SAINTE ANN UPHOLSTERED BED

NOMAD

C O A S TA L L I V I N G H O M E WEEKENDER

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MODA CONSOLE TABLE MODERN

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CASCADE CANOPY BED MODERN

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LUMI COCKTAIL TABLE MODERN

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EVO STOOL MODERN

Bringing together European design influences and modern living with neoclassical lines and distinct architectural details, Coalesce exudes a look that is crisp and tailored. See the full collection at universalfurniture.com.

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID GREENSBORO, NC PERMIT #338

101 South Hamilton St, High Point, NC 27260

Explore our High Point showroom year round!

Please call The Design Line 877-804-5535 to make an appointment.

UniversalFurniture.com

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