Resale shop newest addition to Geneva's 'furniture row'

The 2,300 square feet of showroom is somewhat cluttered at the moment, but what the site momentarily lacks in space will make up for itself simply through location.

Elite Furniture Resale at 1749 S. Randall Road in Geneva has been open for business for a couple of weeks, with a grand opening planned before the end of the month.

But there's no mistaking where and why the company decided to open up shop in this smaller retail strip. It's situated between Walter E. Smithe to the north, and Ashley HomeStore to the south.

“We felt this was a good location and very visible,” said store manager Jean Hennessy. “If people are looking for furniture, they would hopefully be over in this area.”

The mission for Elite Furniture Resale is to show store visitors it offers something different from the traditional furniture stores.

But it's not to be confused with a consignment store. It's a retail operation, with buyers who obtain high-quality furniture at various locations for resale, Hennessy said.

“The buyers go look at all of the pieces from all over,” Hennessy added. “We have a lot of Ethan Allen pieces and others known for very high-end pieces.”

A couple of weeks ago, the store was still in need of a sign above the door, as well as a few pieces being sold to make room for better staging.

“We are probably a little cluttered at the moment because we just opened,” Hennessy said. “But everything we put on the floor looks brand new, so we are very ‘sexy' in how we show things.”

Some people may have a certain view of what a “resale” shop means, but Hennessy feels “once people come in and see what we are about, they will see the difference.”

In that regard, the store looks to create its own niche for high-end furniture in good shape by offering “the kind of things you'd want to have in your house,” she added.

Whether by design or not, Elite Furniture has already accomplished something we haven't seen before — helping create a tight little “furniture row” along our retail landscape in which three stores operate within yards of each other.

It's fall fashions:

This is where I get to plug an event that helps TriCity Family Services, and also mention that my wife is involved in it as one of the models.

The agency will host its Fall Fashion Show from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Club Arcada Speakeasy in St. Charles.

In addition to supporting this important agency, there's another reason to go. If you haven't been to the Club Arcada, it is one of the cooler entertainment spots in the area.

Cost is $35 per person, with a cash bar and various raffles, and models are working with Jeans & a Cute Top Shop from St. Charles.

Those interested in attending can register at tricityfamilyservices.org.

A pet festival:

Anderson Animal Shelter has hosted its free Pets-a-Palooza family festival a few years now, but it's adding a new feature to the event, set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Mooseheart campus.

The “Waggin' Walk” will take place at 10:30 a.m., just before the festival opens. The fundraising walk will offer 1-, 2- or 3-mile strolls through the scenic Mooseheart campus.

More than 60 vendors selling products for pets and humans take part in the festival, which the shelter says attracts more than 3,500 each year.

More information is available on the shelter's website at www.andersonanimalshelter.org/pets-a-palooza or by calling (847) 697-2880, ext. 33.

Down on the farm:

Having spent my early years in Chicago growing up near Midway Airport, it would be accurate to say my interaction with anything resembling a rural lifestyle was quite negligible.

However, upon establishing roots in the Tri-Cities area and living in St. Charles for some time, I met one of my wife's good friends, Dave Corron.

He was an active farmer at his family's interesting and scenic farm in St. Charles. During a Labor Day weekend party at the farm about 30 years ago, he took me on an impromptu tour of the barns.

It was pretty late at night, but he said he'd be in there milking the cows well before sunrise. That meant in just a few hours. It was a quick lesson in how hard a family works to keep a farm active and producing.

So it has not been surprising to see this farm at 7N716 Corron Road earn status as a historic site, and to celebrate that history often.

The Campton Township and Corron Farm Preservation Society will host its fourth annual Prairie Fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at the historic Corron Farm.

This year's event takes on extra meaning because a dedication ceremony will take place to acknowledge the farm's addition to the list of the National Register of Historic Places.

The preservation society, with the help of Erica Ruggiero from McGuire, Igleski & Associates, filed a nomination to the national register to consider Corron Farm for this recognition and protection.

Taking a break:

I wasn't giving this column much thought this past week, spending some time playing golf in Lake Geneva and making sure, or at least hoping, the Cubs could beat the Milwaukee Brewers while I was at Miller Park.

In other words, it means I stayed away from a computer keyboard for a change and you won't see my smiling face next week.

See you again in a couple of weeks.

dheun@sbcglobal.net