The Furniture Source International Story
Our story begins, like so many do, with humble beginnings in a small, rural Texas town. But out of travel, opportunities, and decades of wholesale furniture experience, our family business grew from a small manufacturing operation to a wholesale resource for nationwide retailers and a flourishing retail store in College Station, Texas. Furniture Source International Retail is passionate about offering distinct pieces, the craftsmanship that goes into each, and the unique story they share.
Distinct Items
It may be difficult to put a single label on FSI Retail because the scope is broad. Our store aspires to move beyond a label or a specific catalog item; instead, we make, find and sell items with the homes and requests of our customer’s in mind as well as what we would want to find and have access to for our own spaces. Much of our storefront houses the furniture we make, but there is also a collection of special finds as well. From bookshelf accessories to lighting, to found items, to coffee table books, these items aren’t just décor to help our showrooms look good, they are for you to take home and create a personal space or to gift to others. The furniture that is on display ranges in functionality, style, size, and price as well, creating something for everyone and every budget. In our reclaimed wood collections, we strive for sustainability: using natural processes to avoid chemical treatments, using wood we find rather than cutting down trees and reusing as much as we can to create truly unique and unparalleled items. We are constantly seeking out ways to redefine waste by making it into something with a renewed purpose, like creating a reclaimed wood console that retains original paint and marks of time peppered in the wood. Or, scavenging for antique accessories to lend interest and depth to a space.
Craftsmanship
Many companies use the words custom to mean that you can build products from a few choices, but that isn’t how we use the word. It is rare to find a store like FSI. Not only can you create a custom piece of furniture for your home based on your unique needs, many of our handmade, hand finished pieces are already unique art pieces. The foundation of each reclaimed piece is the wood bearing its own fingerprint in the creation process. Throughout Mexico, there are abandoned buildings that we purchase for the sole use of repurposing the hardwood left behind. Once the reclaimed wood is treated, it’s put directly into the hands of artisan craftsmen who pass down their knowledge from generation to generation. Their families have been making furniture for decades before our company came to work alongside them and we lean on their expertise and knowledge. The individuality of each piece makes every visit to the store a new experience. Rarely will our store look the same as we move pieces into homes, to be passed down from generation to generation. This hope, for our classic and timeless pieces to become heirlooms, furthers our commitment to eco-responsibility and resource efficiency, reducing the amount of furniture and décor that is unthoughtfully made and instead, creating and repurposing pieces to last beyond a lifetime.
Heritage
At the root of our business is a story of generations as well. The building that is home to our product and showroom, was once a gas station and feed store belonging to our grandfather, a location his grandchildren frequented during their visits. Our memories of this store, having our first jobs here, eating burgers and drinking coffee, are rich with the heritage of our family, so it only makes sense that we would use this space to sell furniture and home items that we hope become a part of someone else’s heritage.
In addition to keeping the roots of our operation in the family, we also were taught from a young age the ins and outs of the furniture business. Our dad worked in various aspects of furniture procurement and sales while we moved around to different states. Knowing he could create a legacy in the business, our father decided to take what he learned and built something for our family. Our scope grew as everyone in the family jumped in to help with the business. Even today, as FSI forges its own path in the marketplace, we have the help from our family – by blood and by choice.
Our story is one that changes and evolves with the arrival of each new piece and we would love to show you more. Visit our showroom at 14761 FM 2154 Rd. College Station, Texas 77845, where both the retail and wholesale portions of our business, come together. Our retail store can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
