1122 Route 22 W
Suite 102
Mountainside, NJ
908-688-9416
www.thedecoratingstore-tme.com
This Is Not an Article About Aprons
By Scott Spinelli, The Decorating Store at Terminal Mill Ends
Let me tell you a quick story. It could even be called a cautionary tale.
A few weeks ago, I was in the market to buy a new apron. It’s not the coolest thing I’ve ever done. If you’re wondering why I’m sharing this with you, someone I don’t know, clearly you have never been told a story before.
Like I was saying, I wanted a forest green apron- something cool and manly. I did what nearly all of us do when faced with a situation like this: I searched on a jungle-named online retailer. I found a suitable-looking option, and through the miracle of modern shipping, the apron was in my possession within three days.
What happened next was not a surprise.
The item I received was, in fact, an apron. It was, however, off in more than one way. The color of the fabric was more of a mint than forest green. The fabric was soft, not as rugged as it appeared in the images online. There were pockets, as promised, but they weren’t sized correctly. My iPhone looked comically large wedged into the child-sized pockets they’d provided.
Why am I telling you this? Surely not because The Decorating Store is transitioning, after eight decades of designing the draperies, shades, and upholstered furniture of our customers’ dreams,
to the uber-lucrative apron business. No, sadly and against my great protestations, my father, who is now at the helm of the ship my mother ran and grandfather started, has no intention of selling you or anyone you know aprons.
What we do want to do is what we’ve always done at The Decorating Store. We want to continue to provide excellence where experience matters.
The Decorating Store has moved a couple of times over the years, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to you. Not to throw shade at any other store, but you know exactly what you will get when you come to The Decorating Store. Here is what will happen when you call us to help with your home design project:
Ernie Spinelli, Owner
First, there’s a decent likelihood that you will talk to my father, Ernie. He is charming, fun to talk to, and sure to make you laugh, but he knows next to nothing about decorating. This is not a secret. He would tell you so himself. What he does know is how to connect you with one of our three experienced design consultants.
Second, you’ll explain your project to one of our design consultants. She will visit you with lots of samples and a real understanding of what your project involves. She helps you to decide things like how high to place your brackets, what is the best lining and pleat style, and whether we should railroad the fabric. She answers questions like what insert will give you the “sit” you want and whether you should remove the skirt from that chair. She measures, takes pictures, and then prepares a detailed work order. The bottom line is, you’ll be very happy you called and will get exactly what you wanted from the start, if not better.
Third, The Decorating Store walks with you through your project from inception to completion. We are there with you every step of the way.
So, while aprons are—unfortunately—not for sale at The Decorating Store, I think you’ll be happy with what it is we do have.