It takes hard work and dedication to build a strong foundation and many years to build a good reputation. Oskar Huber Furniture & Design has spent 80 years building such a legacy. In 1927, Oskar Huber opened his furniture store in Northeast Philadelphia. The company expanded in 1962 when a second store was opened in Ship Bottom, N.J., to serve the communities surrounding Long Beach Island.
In 1989, a new showroom was built at the intersection of Second Street Pike and Knowles Avenue in Southampton, where it stands today. Oskar Huber Furniture & Design began a dramatic expansion in 2000, opening a total of nine stores until the economic decline in 2008 forced the company to restructure.
Fortunately, Oskar Huber Furniture & Design had built a good reputation on a strong foundation of quality and service, allowing them to reopen its two primary locations.
“We have had customers tell us that they have missed us and are glad to see us back,” says co-owner Ron Huber, who is the grandson of founder Oskar Huber. Not only does the Huber family still own and operate the company, they can be found working in the stores, ensuring customers receive the highest level of quality and service just like Oskar provided.
Customers who return will be pleased to find that Oskar Huber still offers the same great product mix. The Southampton showroom displays living room, dining room and bedroom furniture, plus décor and lighting. Oskar Huber has departments dedicated to leather and motion seating, as well as Sealy and Sterns & Foster mattresses. The furniture selection is so stylish and well-made that customers travel from all over the mid-Atlantic region to shop there.
“Having traveled much on the East Coast, we felt that Oskar Huber Furniture & Design had greater diversity of product and price, whether furniture or complementary decorative pieces, than any other store we have visited in 35 years,” says Bob and Anne Daniel who often stop by during visits from Maryland.
In addition to affordable and immediately available stock items, Oskar Huber offers custom pieces and a wide selection of colors, fabrics and details. The Ship Bottom location is tailored to meet the needs of shore residents, offering a casual, beach style for either year-round homes, vacation homes or rental properties.
Another familiar feature of Oskar Huber that returning customers will recognize is the staff. Many of employees have returned, providing customers with knowledgeable and experienced guidance. “Oskar Huber Furniture & Design employees are well prepared to assist customers with the purchase of a single item or to furnish an entire home,” Ron Huber says.
In the Design Center, customers can customize their selection with thousands of fabrics for custom upholstery and many finish options for everything from bedroom, dining to occasional table and accent pieces. Supplied with photos, a floor plan and measurements the staff will consider traffic patterns to suggest complimentary pieces for a room. A staff member will even come to a customers’ home to help with the selection of new pieces that will incorporate nicely with the existing décor.
The staff of Oskar Huber Furniture & Design stays informed on the most popular decorating looks and how they can compliment customers’ lifestyles. According to staff member Lisa Pearson, “The current style is less is more.”
“Streamlined designs are popular,” she says. “Younger customers like the fresh, clean lines, while older people who are downsizing, appreciate styles that are easy to maintain.”
The walls of the Oskar Huber showroom are painted with some of the most popular color schemes. Benajmin Moore and MAB Paints, located next door to the showroom, have selected and labeled the color pallets used. Ron has forged many similar relationships to offer customers a complete decorating resource. Lisa says that the current earth-tone color selection “reflects customers’ growing awareness of the environment.”
Oskar Huber offers some products that use soy based foam and recycled plastic components. Decorative eco-friendly products include one-of-a-kind pieces made with certified reclaimed wood and hardware and South African slate tables which Ron says help customers achieve a look unique to their own interests.
Over the 80 years that Oskar Huber Furniture & Design has been in business, many decorating trends have come and gone, but what has helped the company remain consistent is a commitment to service.
“We are excited to be opened as Oskar Huber again,” Ron says. “We invite customers who are looking for a good selection of quality products and exceptional service to come see us again.”
Oskar Huber Furniture & Design
618 Second Street Pike, Southampton, 215-355-4800
101 W. 8th Street, Ship Bottom, 609-494-8127
OskarHuber.com
Sharon A. Shaw is a freelance writer living in Doylestown.
Michael Sahadi is a freelance photographer based in Philadelphia. (MichaelSahadi.com)
