WICKES ROLLS OUT RED CARPET

Wickes Furniture Co. will celebrate the opening of its first store in Las Vegas July 28 and 29.

The 42,000-square-foot store, located at 6425 N. Decatur Blvd., will host several events during the grand-opening festivities, including an appearance by interior designer Michael Payne, host of HGTV’s “Designing for the Sexes.” The festivities are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

“We’re pretty excited about being in Las Vegas. It’s a very happening place,” said John Disa, chief executive officer of Wickes.

“The Wickes Furniture collection was created by our designers, who are committed to infusing excitement and inspiration into every aspect of decorating the home,” Disa said. “We look forward to serving the Las Vegas market and extend a warm invitation to the entire community. Our mission is to help people create the home of their dreams, affordably.”

Payne said Las Vegas is the perfect environment for Wickes, which offers quality products, top-notch service and affordable prices. “Wickes does all three as well as they can be done.

“I think the opening of the Wickes store here in Las Vegas is a real treat for the residents. Once they visit the store, they will see what they have been missing,” said Payne, who has been affiliated with the furniture retailer for about two years.

His appearance at the store will include the presentation of a seminar entitled “Today’s Five Biggest Design Challenges.” The hour-long talk is set for noon both days. Additionally, he will present a half-hour seminar at 2:30 p.m. both days.

Payne holds a bachelor’s degree from Southampton University in England and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles’ interior design program. A member of the American Society of Interior Designers, Payne also is a certified interior designer in California.

Those attending the grand opening will have the opportunity to win a one-on-one design consultation with Payne. Five 10-minute consultations will be awarded each day at 2 p.m.; winners must be present at the drawing.

“It’s an exciting thing to be able to offer as a prize,” Payne said. “There are many, many people who have never worked with an interior designer before.”

During the course of his career, Payne said he has met people who have empty rooms in their homes because they didn’t know what to do with them, as well as those who knew they needed to put color on their walls but didn’t have a clue about where to start. With samples of sofa fabrics and draperies, Payne said he is able to help clients solve their decorating dilemmas.

Also, the first 100 guests each day will receive a signed copy of his book “Let’s Ask Michael.” The book follows a question and answer format and is based entirely upon e-mails that Payne has received. The answers include photos of Payne’s work to illustrate his suggestions.

“It’s truly filled with really useful information,” he said. “It shouldn’t just sit idly on a shelf; it’s not ‘War and Peace.’ It’s an interesting read and if even you only get one good idea, it is worth reading.”

Additionally, several radio station personalities will be on hand with prizes and giveaways from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Also, Wickes will have hourly drawings for free merchandise and gift cards.

The retailer carries selections by a variety of major manufacturers including Lane Furniture, Broyhill Furniture Industries, Magnussen Home Furnishings, Klaussner Furniture Industries, Universal Furniture and Legacy Classic Furniture, as well as mattresses by companies such as Sealy, Simmons, Tempur-Pedic and Nature’s Bed.

Disa said the store’s entire inventory is displayed in vignettes, with the floor’s layout based on lifestyle. There are areas devoted to traditional furnishings, as well as those for contemporary, urban contemporary, casual, rustic and Southwestern.

“It’s very easy to shop our stores,” he said. “We try to merchandise based on lifestyle. We do find most of our consumers are a bit eclectic, they do mix styles.”

“What it really means is that if a homeowner isn’t sure of what he wants, Wickes is a great place to go to clarify his mind,” Payne said.

Additionally, Disa said the company’s merchandising philosophy revolves around furnishing a complete room, down to the accessories.

“We put the whole room together. The more you buy, the more you save. It’s a great value proposition,” he said.

Founded in 1971, Wickes is based in Wheeling, Ill., and has 43 stores in the United States, including 17 each in Los Angeles and Chicago and four in Portland, Ore. Disa said the company announced it was closing its Minneapolis store about a month and a half ago so it could concentrate on the Chicago area and Southwest region, where it has seen its most recent growth.

Wickes is opening 10 stores this year, with Las Vegas being the first new market in “quite some time,” according to Disa. Plans call for another Las Vegas store to open in the fall, and a total of three or four locations in the area.

Disa said Las Vegas presents a great opportunity for the company.

“The housing growth has been booming there and we believe it is being underserved in furniture. We’re well-entrenched in the Los Angeles market and Vegas is a natural extension for us.”

Regular showroom hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. During the grand opening, the store will stay open an hour longer each day.

Wickes Furniture Co. is owned by Sun Capital Investment, a Boca Raton, Fla.-based firm that has invested in and managed more than 150 companies worldwide.

Additional information about the furniture retailer can be found on the company’s Web site, www.wickesfurniture.com.