Nadeau didn’t instantly wow me when I walked in the door at the corner of 27th and Hennepin in Uptown. It’s a big, plain room packed – and not very artfully so – with a whole lot of wood furniture. I was surprised to learn this is not just another local shop giving it a go, but the 15th location for a fast growing Santa Monica, Calif.-based company with stores in New York, Chicago, Miami and Dallas.
Tom and Ryoko Nadeau started importing hardwood furniture and decorative accessories from Indonesia to a Los Angeles warehouse in 1991. Now, they have relationships with suppliers around the world. They call it “furniture with a soul,” and stick to certain standards: Not mass produced, no laminates, no assembly required and not what you’d find at a chain store. Best of all, prices seemed extremely reasonable – from tables and chairs to trunks, shelves and dressers. The manager of the Minneapolis store told me Nadeau typically receives two containers of goods per month. Definitely worth checking out. 2756 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612-208-1540
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