Three Chairs, a downtown Ann Arbor high end furniture shop at 215 S. Ashley St., is turning three decades old.
Susan Monroe is a believer of quality over quantity. After working in the furniture industry for years, she decided to open up her own chain of stores. The downtown location is now the main one (the other one is in Holland).
“I felt like the customer shopping experience wasn’t very good and that there was a lot of bad furniture out there, so I went on a mission to find better,” Monroe said.
The high prices that you will find in the store are for two reasons. First of all—this is luxury at its most pure—you go there to buy furniture that is timeless, sturdy, and will last for years and years; not cheap plywood and filler that will fall apart after a couple of seasons. It is also almost entirely American made.
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“I kept walking back here. I just kinda liked what they had. I’m very particular about what I want,” Jeff Porteser, a customer, said. He ended up buying a Clare chair because “I just loved how it feels, because it rotates a wee bit.” He had it customized through the store, which took time “because I wanted leather, so I had no problem with it taking a little bit. And the thing looks great in my apartment.”
Going this route is likely more expensive than what you would be able to find at Target or Home Goods, but it also means that by going here you are supporting American jobs with the vast majority of your purchases.
Monroe estimates that “95%” of her products are American made. “We’ve got one Canadian company. That’s it.”
Monroe runs the show, which used to be larger. While there used to be four locations and a warehouse, she is in the process of gradually running down the business towards an eventual retirement.
“This is where I live, so this is enough for now,” Monroe said. “We can ship everywhere from here,” she said, explaining her decision to downsize. “I just want to not be in my car.”
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
