By Apryl Mock
Managing Editor
Affordable Furniture and More is my favorite place to shop in Durant. Though on the outside it appears to be a humble used furniture store, it is so much more. It’s a wonderland of antiques, home décor items and a plethora of other treasures.
This is not the thrift shop you go to for shoes or clothing, but the one where you find hidden treasures you weren’t even looking for, like the perfect collectable cookie jar for grandma or a Super Nintendo in pristine condition that your boyfriend will drool over.
Affordable Furniture and More is located next to Nichol’s Dollar Saver on University Boulevard here in Durant. Its location makes it easy to overlook, but it’s absolutely worth checking out.
Affordable Furniture is co-owned by mother and daughter Norma and Linda Bornheim. I like to go in just to chat with Norma because she reminds me of Carol Brady, always having a kind word or good advice.
If they’d let me, I’d probably move in to their store because I can’t stay and shop long enough to satisfy my curiosity and I think we would get along swimmingly.
The layout of the store is maze-like, which gives it a charm you only find in family-owned businesses. The atmosphere makes me feel like I’ve just moved in to a new house and the owners left stacks of their belongings in the attic, just waiting for me to sift through them.
When I’m wondering through the aisles containing hand painted wall art and fantastic antique sculptures of peacocks, I feel like I’ve just fallen down the rabbit hole.
As their name indicates, they give good deals on furniture. I bought my kitchen table, complete with four chairs, here for $75. They even gave me a discount because they hadn’t had a chance to clean it yet.
They have a selection of every type of furniture you can imagine, from traditional couches and chairs to unique table lamps and fabulous Victorian desks.
According to Linda Bornheim, they also have a warehouse on First Street filled with furniture. Linda said, “All they have to do is ask, and we’ll take them over there.”
Besides their immense amount of furniture, they offer a variety of antiques and a menagerie of home décor items, as well as the odds and ends you would expect from a good thrift shop, such as make-up and cookware.
They have a full aisle of Avon beauty products for less than half price. I’ve even found a small bottle of True Religion perfume for a $1. It’s impossible not to find a good deal in this store. They also have an aisle of toys that children flock to.
The only real gripe I have about Affordable Furniture is the lack of clothing and shoes, although Norma said they are planning to add a clothing section to their store in the near future.
They are also a little lacking on crafting supplies. Occasionally I will find a few nice items such as embroidery thread or sewing supplies, but it would be nice to find painting or scrap booking materials.
Overall, Affordable Furniture and More is a diamond in the rough. It’s a little hidden away, but completely worth looking in to. I give Affordable Furniture four and a half out of five stars.