20 YEARS of friendly, helpful service

Homeworld Furniture has been established in Newcastle and the Hunter Region for 30 years. It is a family owned business that started off in small stores that some of us will remember as 'The Pine Doctor' and has grown into the large warehouses of today.

There is one store located at Heatherbrae that services Port Stephens, Rutherford and the Hunter Valley. A second store located at Warners Bay services Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast. Both stores stock a huge range of timber and upholstered furniture.

This month the Warners Bay store celebrates it’s 20th birthday and we asked owners David and Mary-Ann about the changes they have seen in the furniture business over the last 30 years.

David and Mary-Ann Parnell are both local Newcastle people and David's father started the original company as The Pine Doctor thirty years ago. The stores were all small, but when they opened the Warners Bay warehouse twenty years ago, it was the only furniture store in Warners Bay and the largest in their, then five store chain.

Mary-Ann says that the furniture they sell has changed a lot over the years. “In the beginning, it was nearly all Australian made, most was left in its raw state and the customers used to paint it or stain it. Nowadays, any furniture that is made overseas is usually stained or painted before it is imported” she said.

David said that in the early days, with smaller warehousing, they were unable to fit lounges on display, but larger premises have allowed them to expand into this area and they are now able to display a large range of upholstered furniture. This has included a new range of sofas that are built for the American market with “No Sag Spring” seats and with fabrics and styles that represent outstanding value.

“We still have Australian made furniture, including Sealy and Sleepmaker bedding, and our melamine furniture is made locally by Euroform Industries that supply Australia wide” David said. David & Mary-Ann may have seen plenty of changes to their Warners Bay store over twenty years but agree that their commitment to customers remains.

“Our motto has always been "Affordable Family Furniture" and we are now serving 2nd generation customers that remember coming into our store with their parents when they were kids. We still believe in looking after our customers with a friendly, helpful and informative approach and by providing quality, value for money product.”

Happy Birthday Homeworld! For more information visit the website at www.homeworldfurniture.com.au