Mooresville to Become Mecca for Furniture Tourism

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

At least that is what Michael Bay, owner of Merinos Home Furnishings is hoping for. The 500 South Main Street furniture and indoor décor complex’s owner envisions his expanding furniture collection to become “one of the largest, most spectacular stores in the world, a center for furniture tourism that will appeal to buyers nationally and internationally.” Bay adds, “We’ve created Merinos to be a fun destination that visitors to our area will make a point of seeing, along with the city’s racing shops and other attractions.”

A step toward that goal is the launch of the development’s second phase. The Memorial Day opening has more than doubled the retail complex’s currently available space, with the addition of two new buildings and four acres of furniture, rugs and furnishings for sale, bringing the old Burlington Mill property’s revamped space to about seven acres.

A 60,000-square-foot rug showroom is one of the most important components of Phase 2. It is “the largest collection of rugs on the planet… including exquisite pieces from Europe and Asia,” according to Bay. The 30,000 square-foot, loft-style warehouse space, dubbed Boyles Furniture Direct, is another important feature of the second phase.

Also, new specialized sections like office, patio and children’s furniture are being added to existing ones. And new brands are being added to Merinos’ merchandise with a focus on furniture made in the USA.

But Merinos Home Furnishings’ development won’t stop at phase two. Many more additions are expected at the historic former Burlington Mills property. The earliest of these additions will be a 120-seat pizzeria set for a September opening. The locale will boast four traditional wood-fired brick ovens from Italy.

Later phases of the development would include a European Design Center, targeting clients from the old continent by easing the shopping and shipping processes for their purchases. An on-site artisan production section is also planned, where visitors will be able to observe the production process of custom-designed pieces.

Phase 1 of Merinos Home Furnishings opened in May 2011.

Click here for more market data on Charlotte.

Photo courtesy of Merino Home Furnishing Warehouse’s Facebook page