Blue Hill Furniture

Eli Schmidt, a prominent Hill businessman, started the Hill Company in 1949 under the name Hill Hardware. It was a more traditional hardware store that began to specialize in outdoor furniture in the early 70s.A stay-at-home mom for 18 years, Moran got a certificate in interior design from Philadelphia University. With that certificate she talked herself into a part time job at the Hill Company working for Eli’s son, Bruce. She knew she could do more with the store.“I realized right away it was too small,” she said.She expanded to a Blue Bell location pretty quickly, and then moved to 8040 Germantown Ave. in 2014. The new, vastly more spacious warehouse is the former home of Diane Bryman’s rugs.In the short time she owned it, Moran grew Hill Company from its small top-of-the-hill shop roots to a massive furniture warehouse that attracts a steady stream of regular customers from Center City to the Main Line and around the Northwest Suburbs. She tripled its sales and earned the business a national award.“I did what I wanted to do,” Moran, 71, said. “I knew I could take this little business and make it into something great, and I think we did.So it should come as no surprise that Moran’s business attracted the attention of Summer Classics, a large furniture retailer based in Birmingham, Alabama with 13 retail locations across the country. Summer Classics, she said, is one of the main manufacturers she sells.“They do an unbelievable job,” Moran said. “They are gorgeous, gorgeous stores, and people are going to love it. It’s going to be a real asset to Chestnut Hill.”And Summer Classics is eager to come to Chestnut Hill.“I am really excited about opening the 14th SC Home store in Philadelphia,” said Bew White, the Summer Classics CEO in a press release. “The Hill Company has been a longtime customer of Summer Classics, so making this deal really hit home for me.”According to the release, Summer Classics plans to renovate the 12,000 square-foot space to reopen...

His editorial assistant, Mike Updegraff, stands at a computer nearby, editing an article for the next issue of Mortise & Tenon, the magazine Klein launched in 2016.“The goal is to explore woodworking before the industrial revolution,” says Klein. “You can make this style of furniture with machines. But from a process standpoint, it’s very different.”This is the home of Mortise & Tenon, housed in a salvaged and reassembled 1790s barn built in Pawlet, Vt., which Klein and Updegraff are working to restore. It’s cozy inside, despite the plastic covering several missing windows, which Klein attributes to the “really tight envelope” constructed around (but not touching) the barn’s frame. There’s no electricity or lighting downstairs, because Klein prefers to work with natural light, which he says highlights the contours of a piece of woodwork.Mike Updegraff, editorial assistant, at work in the shop. For the magazine’s sixth issue, he is writing a piece about taking a piece of furniture from the forest to the shop room floor. Cutting down a tree and drying the wood not only offers “the benefit of having that connection with your materials,” he notes, but is also “creative and physical.”ELLSWORTH AMERICAN PHOTO BY KATE COUGHLately, the father of three has been trying to slow down. The past few years have been busy: there was his furniture restoration business, Klein Furniture Restoration, dismantling the former Jordan Homestead in Ellsworth, starting the magazine, a podcast on hand tool-centric furniture making, restoring the barn and oh, researching and writing a book about Jonathan Fisher, the first settled minister of Blue Hill who supplemented his income by building furniture.“Hands Employed Aright: The Furniture Making of Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847),” is part conservator’s catalog, part history, part biography. “All the richness of that story, it’s all there,” says Klein. “It’s a very human picture of what it was like ...

This is especially true for avid home decorators whose wish lists tend to keep growing larger. But a small space doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on style -- you just need to find the right pieces to make your place function.Wayfair has many pieces that answer the call of smart storage duty, and they’re currently listed for up to 65 percent off regular prices. In the Fresh-Start Storage Sale, you’ll find 2-in-1 living room furniture, clever entryway options, closet systems, organizers and much more. This means that whatever room needs sprucing up, Wayfair has the answer. While there are many small storage items on sale, we’ve scoured the site to find the can’t-miss, big-ticket furniture items any shopper should take note of. If you’ve made it your New Year’s resolution to finally get organized or just want to refresh your home for 2019, you’re going to want to check these out before the sale ends on January 14. Liberty Reversible Sleeper Sectional Liberty Reversible Sleeper SectionalWayfair Original Price: $1,210 Sale Price: $689 In today’s tiny apartments, you’re not likely going to have a dedicated guest room. But with a piece like the Liberty Reversible Sleeper Sectional from CosmoLiving by Cosmopolitan, you and your visitors can rest easy knowing they’ll have a place to stay. Currently on sale for 43 percent off the regular price, this sleeper sectional easily converts to a bed by lowering the backrest. The split-back feature is also ideal because you can lower one half while only lowering the other, letting your loved one stretch out while you recline. For even more functionality, the chaise lounge lifts to reveal extra storage for bedding, board games or whatever you need to hide away. Diamond tufting and golden legs give this piece a refined look that suits a modern space. At 84-inches long, it’s a medium-sized piece that will fit most living spaces. Shop Now Luper Storage Ottoman Luper Storage OttomanWayfair Original Price: $340 Sale Price: $...