New name, lower prices for local furniture store

When you're shopping for a dining room table in the $1,000 range and chairs for under $200 each, Honquest in Barrington might not be the first store to pop into your mind.

But Richard and Rachel Honquest show off just such a set - a table topped with squares of light wood and stylish chairs with cutouts in the backs.

The shopper who rides the escalator upstairs to see another contemporary table with a $9,000 price tag can understand the store's reputation for upscale lines.

Years ago the store specialized in higher-priced goods, but now carries moderately-priced lines in its 30,000 square foot building, in an effort to appeal to a wider market.

"The size that it is we have the capability to show all price points. That's really important," said Richard Honquest.

For two years - years that have not been kind to the furniture industry, which nationally saw 40 percent of stores go out of business or be acquired by new owners- the couple has been working on rebranding the store.

"Richard Honquest Fine Furnishings" has become "Honquest 'furniture for living.'

Richard Honquest has been in business for almost 50 years, eight of them at the Ice House in downtown Barrington before building in 1984 at Barrington and Dundee roads. Although most of his friends are retired, and his wife has cut back her work schedule to two days a week, he comes to the store every week day.

And there has always been only one Honquest store because the couple thinks that is important to keeping a level of service that draws customers from throughout the Midwest.

While Richard Honquest agrees this is the worst economic time he has ever seen during his years in the furnishings business, he says the store is holding its own. Besides traditional advertising, Honquest throws in-store events - often with a charitable connection - to draw people in and give them a good feeling about the place.

A reputation for service and stability are important in today's economic climate, as well as value, said Rachel Honquest. Of the 65 employees, more than a dozen have been with the store longer than 11 years.

Richard Honquest has been selling fine furniture too long not to want to show off its special qualities.

Just four years ago he learned about the style and quality of Italian furniture, such as the hand-veneered sideboard with a marble top for just under $10,000.

But he's especially proud of the American-made furniture by Henkel Harris of Virginia. Stopping at a $19,000 slant-top desk with a document cabinet top, he points out the hand carving, the inlaid yew on the mahogany, the detailed inside compartments and the fine finishes.

Rachel Honquest imparts different wisdom when she walks through the store.

• $2,000 settees or love seats sell quickly right off the floor.

• A couple of rugs thrown over a "tired" carpet could change the whole feel of a room.

• Metallics are coming on strong in home decor, but if you're not ready for them on upholstered pieces, try accent pillows.