HOMENCLATURE: A ONE-STOP SHOP TO DECORATE YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE WITH ONE-OF-A-KIND FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES
September 2019
When you walk in the door at Homenclature at 2150 E. 116th Street in Carmel, the first thing you notice is that it doesn’t look like any other furniture store you have ever gone into. The variety under one roof is astounding. Look closer and you will realize that what you are seeing is name-brand designer furniture and accessories with many of the pieces so unique that you won’t find them anywhere else. Then check the price tags and you’ll discover discounts that are unheard of at other stores.
With retail pricing anywhere from 20 to 70% lower than what you would see in other stores, depending on the brand, Homenclature co-owner Amanda Snider says their prices are low and their selection is very high. “We never have people come in and complain about pricing,” she says, adding that their business continues to improve too. “Our selection is getting better and better, our price points are getting better, and we’re getting even more designer pieces.”
See and Touch Before Buying
Amanda points out that in many cases you would have to go to New York or Chicago or LA to actually see, in person, many of the high-end designer pieces that Homenclature has in the store. “You can’t see certain items without driving somewhere. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend $5,000 on something I haven’t seen. Plus, you don’t really know if you like it. We just have pieces that no one else has, and they don’t discount them. We discount them.”
So not only do you get to touch and feel the furnishings before you make a purchase, but it will be at a much better price point than you can find anywhere else too. Additionally, you don’t have to order and then wait. You can take it with you or have it delivered.
New Line
Amanda and her husband, Shayne, are celebrating 2 1/2 years at their location in Merchants Square but are not resting on their laurels. They continue to be innovative in the furnishing industry and have recently launched their own line called Irene Patrick. The collection already has hundreds of one-of-a-kind pieces created from architectural salvage from buildings that are incorporated into the pieces.
Irene Patrick includes things such as tables, unique shelving, storage options and consoles, among other items. Homenclature designs the pieces, and then they are created at their partner factory in India. The material is varied, and the design is one-of-a-kind.
Amanda says they started their own line because, having been in the furniture business for as long as they have, they have discovered that finding pieces that are functional, well-made and unique, but which will also stand the test of time, is very difficult.
“The designs in our Irene Patrick line are unique because the pricing is extremely aggressive for the high style, construction and quality of materials. It also takes real life into account. By that I mean it considers the fact that your kids are going to run in and drag toys across the top of it or make slime on it or drop their backpack on it,” says Amanda, adding, “We like to really live in our house, whether it’s all of our kids having friends over or entertaining our friends, family gatherings, whatever. Nobody wants to worry about coasters underneath everybody’s drink.”
Amanda believes that their new Irene Patrick line will appeal to anyone who wants their home to reflect their style and personality but also to someone who wants a good value. “These pieces are great for someone who wants to get their home furnished and get on with living: Moms, bachelors, grandparents, newlyweds, empty nesters. Nobody has enough time these days,” she says.
The Sniders have ambitious plans for their new Irene Patrick line and will be revealing several very unique collections in January. As for now, they have over 200 pieces of their own personal designs ready for purchase. “With the particular factory that we’re working with now, the materials at their disposal and level of craftsmanship allow us to really shine. We are getting to use materials that would typically be considered cost-prohibitive at this price point,” says Amanda, explaining that those materials include marble, hand-forged iron, antique mirror, reclaimed architectural curated details, detailed hand finishes and hand-scraped hardwoods that are still considered a sustainable resource because of the particular species being used, among many others that the Irene Patrick line employs.
The pieces can all be seen at the Carmel location. A good portion of the inventory is ready to purchase off the floor and can be in your home often on the same day, so you can start enjoying your space immediately.
Design Consultation
You can run the gamut at Homenclature from buying a single chair to designing and furnishing an entire house. And they offer in-home consultation in which designers will come into the home and measure and do a design consultation and then offer a proposal or plan. They will also work with existing designers on a project.
Homenclature’s in-home design consultations usually take an hour and cost only $55. If a customer decides to utilize the services longer, the designers will determine the cost on a case-by-case basis, according to the customer’s specific needs.
The process typically begins by asking the customer questions that allow Homenclature’s designers to get to know the client’s needs, timeline, budget, lifestyle and expectations. Utilizing those answers, they then prioritize the project and determine whether what is needed is a couple of unique pieces to finish off a room, an entire home full of furnishings or just those final finishing touches to change a house into a home with great accessories and lighting.
The intent is to take the intimidation out of the process and work with the client’s timeline. They also work very closely with designers to find exactly what their clients are searching for.
“If a particular customer already has their own designer but they stumbled into our store and they like a lot of the things that we have, we’re happy to work directly with that designer as well. We tend to be a good resource for those designers,” says Amanda, explaining that if their Carmel store doesn’t have something, their other location in Valparaiso will, as it is a much bigger location and has a huge inventory.
Broadening the Spectrum
Amanda says that when she and her husband opened Homenclature, they focused mainly on customers who were looking to furnish their main home or perhaps a lake house. Now, however, the spectrum has been broadened. “We’re doing a lot of high-end Airbnbs because we deliver the value with our selection. They understand decor is important but want to get a good value and a high aesthetic without breaking the bank on a property like that that is being rented.”
Additionally, Homenclature is now furnishing houses and shipping all over the country. Amanda says that clients send plans and measurements to them and then they send back floor plans and suggestions. They have truly created a national brand.
More Than a Decade of Experience
Amanda and Shayne started Homenclature in 2008 in Munster, Indiana, because they felt there was a need for a store that offered unique furniture and accessory options. Its origins were in gently used and repurposed pieces that they found in estate sales, garage sales, Craigslist and elsewhere. It became so successful that it quickly expanded to new pieces, overstock items, floor samples, scratch and dent and customer returns. Homenclature saw such phenomenal growth that they moved to a space 10 times the size in Valparaiso, Indiana, in 2013.
Two and a half years ago they decided to expand again, this time to the north side of Indianapolis, and found their current location at Merchants Plaza in Carmel.
Homenclature has come a long way since the days of looking for used items. Now, they offer new, first-quality name-brand and designer items, as well as warehouse liquidations, floor samples, scratch and dents and one-of-a-kind items. “We’ve got a little bit of stuff you would see at Arhaus, a little bit of stuff you would see at Urban Underpriced. A little bit of stuff you would see at Restoration Hardware. But then we also have one-of-a-kind, lower-end value-priced items and then our own line. So we’re really striving to offer things you don’t see everywhere else but still make it affordable at the same time,” says Amanda.
Why Homenclature?
The furnishings available at Homenclature are so well styled and so unique that you can do your entire home there and no one will ever know, according to Amanda. In fact, she says that you could also do it all in one day and no one would ever know. And you’ll know that you’ve gotten the best price for what you purchased. “We’ve taken all the researching and the shopping and the price checking and all the back and forth and we’ve put it all in front of you, and you can see it, touch it, feel it, and you know what you’re getting,” says Amanda
Being unique is what Homenclature is all about. “We do encourage people to express their personality through their decor. We don’t want your home to look like everyone else’s. We like to listen to people and figure out what is good for them and their lifestyle and really approach decorating from a practical standpoint,” Amanda says.
For example, Amanda points out that a lot of people don’t use their formal dining room but maybe once or twice a year. However, they might need a study or have a hobby that the room could be used for instead. Homenclature listens to their clients and their needs and habits and then comes up with a solution-oriented plan.
Giving Back to the Community
Homenclature has been developing a unique program in which they take customers’ used furniture and put it in their storage space where not-for-profits can then pick furniture and accessories for families who cannot afford to buy. Homenclature is working with several charities on this program to give those in need, the homeless and the victims of domestic violence help in getting a fresh start. They work with ReStore, which is affiliated with Habitat for Humanity, and also make regular donations to the Salvation Army.
Where and How to Shop
Homenclature’s website has a listing of available inventory at https://www.furniturestorecarmel.com They also have an active Facebook page. But the best way to see the huge variety of furnishings and accessories is by stopping by their store in Merchants Plaza at 2150 E. 116th St. in Carmel. They offer layaway and 0% financing. White glove delivery service is available, as well as customer pickup.
Stop by often as new items arrive every week and Homenclature transforms into a completely new store every month.