A World of Interiors: Green Front Furniture in Raleigh, NC

For 25 years, Green Front Furniture has been inspiring Raleigh homeowners with a curated mix of high-end furniture, rugs and decor

by Hampton Williams Hofer | photography by Robert Willett

Just inside the beltline, on a little offshoot of Capital Boulevard called Yonkers Road, is Green Front Furniture. It’s an immersive world of design inspiration, sitting in stark contrast to the congested boulevard it overlooks. Beneath interior lighting displays in the 35,000-square-foot showroom, walkways lead from one stylized room vignette to another, each filled with high-end furniture, rugs, artwork, and decor, right down to the coffee-table flowers.

Over its 25 years in Raleigh, Green Front has garnered a loyal following of shoppers and interior designers drawn to the store’s curated, ever-changing selection. It’s meant to be a destination shopping experience: visitors can wander through the artful displays with the option of guidance from the staff, but without any pressing sales pitches. “It’s always been about sincerity — greeting people, but then giving them that breathing room to explore on their own,” says Patrick Casey, who’s been the general manager for 20 years.

In that way, customers who come for a traditional dining set may find themselves on a journey through the rug room, or testing out a sleek leather sofa next to Casey’s 14-year-old maltipoo, Walter (who starred in Green Front’s first advertisement in this magazine). No specific style defines the store, as one setup might feature beachy rattan chairs while its neighbor shows modern metallic barstools. There is something for everyone, with the common denominator of quality.

Raleigh’s Green Front showroom is a satellite of the multi-building flagship location in Farmville, Virginia, known for its 1 million square feet of showroom space and the largest rug selection in North America. In 1968, Green Front’s founder, Dickie Cralle, opened a furniture store with a name that paid homage to his father’s grocery shop on Main Street in Farmville, where they displayed all of the fresh lettuce, cabbages and other produce in the window to attract shoppers — green at the front.

By the late 1980s, vacant tobacco warehouses in downtown Farmville offered the perfect expansion opportunities for Green Front’s thriving furniture sales. A decade later, they expanded south to Raleigh, where the store has become a notable local spot for everything from lighting to art. “We’ve been fortunate to be an integral part of the company, even a couple hours away from Farmville,” says Casey. He heads up 15 North to Virginia every month or so, but he finds connections to the Farmville store everywhere. Recently at dinner at Glenwood Grill, he fell into a conversation with strangers who have kids at Hampden-Sydney College — they visit the flagship store on every trip. It’s one thing Casey, a Greenville native who has lived all over the east coast, loves about Raleigh: “It’s just friendly. In some cities, you can go into a neighborhood restaurant and no one talks to you. In Raleigh, there are connections everywhere.”

A close-knit, 10-person team at Green Front keeps the store open seven days a week. They get tons of regulars — casual shoppers and designers on specific hunts for their clients alike — popping in to see what’s new, especially after the Green Front designers have visited High Point Market each fall and spring, bringing back one-of-a-kind finds like antique chairs and whimsical vases. The vast rug room at Green Front features handcrafted rugs sourced on staff travels to India, Pakistan and beyond. It’s Casey’s favorite spot in the store. “The rug room is so unique, not just because it’s a lot of space for a typical furniture store, but also because of the display,” he says. “The way the rugs hang with the lighting, there’s almost a magical vibe.”

Casey, who has a background in law and business but a longtime interest in interior design, inadvertently stumbled upon his dream job 20 years ago. While doing some freelance design work, he had a client who asked him to meet at Green Front Furniture. The name rang a bell; Casey recalled clients before saying they had gotten this or that at this new place called Green Front. On his first visit, he heard an employee say that they were hiring, so he decided to try it for a year, starting in sales. Soon he was on to a merchandising position, then rose up to general manager. His business background comes in handy, but design is where his passion lies. The store sources furnishings from all over the world, but the team has invested strongly in North Carolina brands and quality local items. Green Front carries an array of well-known lines like Hickory Chair, Lillian August and Highland House, and their manufacturing partners offer custom orders for fabrics and finishes. Casey also intentionally hires floor employees with a background or interest in design, not just sales experience.

On a recent weekend, regulars and newcomers alike strolled the aisles of partial room arrangements set up on the sales floor, finding decorative inspiration around every sofa corner; there’s always something new. Green Front is artful, layered, the kind of place to lose all track of time — and altogether more of an experience than a store. “We want it to be an adventure,” says Casey.