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505 Imports offers style, green goods and great looks for home
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Hello to Rebekah Dressler, co-owner of 505 Imports, a wonderful import furniture and accessories store based in Lake Charles,
Louisiana.
Q.: Rebekah, has this been a long-time dream pulling 505 Imports together? What is it like working with family?
A.: It really hasn’t been a long-time dream since the idea came to me and my mom suddenly 4 years ago, and we opened 4 months later. But it has been the steady realization of a dream to be independent and successful in business with a product that we are passionate about.
Working with family is actually…great!!! My mom and I bring different perspectives to the business—she is the creative one who enjoys shopping, research (and spending money!), and I am the business and analytical one that actually enjoys crunching numbers and overall operations.
Q.: Can you tell Home and Living Readers something about your style gallery (that is to say, Bohemian, Coastal Cottage…)?
A.: Our design gallery is something unique that we have developed as we continually research the market trends and translate those ideas into “505 style.” The results are unlike any other company around; they are our interpretation of the globally inspired trends that are so popular today. Differentiation has been the key to our evolution. We have pledged to do our own thing, not really following any leaders in the workplace, and, in the process, 505 Imports has evolved with a personality that is all its own.
Our Bohemian section is inspired by India and exhibits a carefree and unconventional approach to design. The bohemian “design” spirit displays itself in vivid jewel-tone colors, ethnic designs, opulent pillows and tapestries, metal lanterns, quirky lamps and art, exotic fur throws, flamboyant fabrics (batik, embroidered, tie-dyed, metallic, appliquéd, sequined or jeweled) and ornately carved wooden accents.
Our Coastal Cottage section is very popular since our store is located in a lake area; it has a breezy, warm and relaxing look and literally exhibits “summer” all year long. We normally use soft sea colors of pale green, turquoise, white, and weathered gray and brown, but sometimes we vary from this typical theme to tell a different color story. A shopper will find blue or white distressed furniture, natural wood finishes, comfortable slip-covered sofas, and capiz shell lamps and wind chimes. Many natural objects from the sea such as coral, seashells, and beach glass complement the seaside look. We also use many glamorous silver accents for an upscale coastal look.
Our French Villa section is also popular because the French Country look in general is a typical design style in the South. Yes, we have simple farm tables as well as side tables and desks with graceful cabriole legs. We feature many painted pieces in this section: distressed mahogany wood in black, red, and white. Charming accessories such as wire and wrought iron accents, botanical motifs and earthy pottery designs that tell a story are all there. But we also have a vintage approach to French which is a little quirky or Anthropology-esque. We are seeking out vintage French textiles and beautiful but curious accessories to complement our furniture.
505’s Rustic Redefined style is an eclectic mix of lodge, Mexican, and Spanish styles with elegant touches of silver candlesticks, horn accessories, burl wood serving ware, goat and cow hides, and Talavera pottery. We are mixing natural or worn finishes on furniture with glamorous accessories, such as zebra cow hides, metallic pillows and silver accents. The favorite choice of wood in this section is primitive mahogany, reclaimed teak and polished shee-sham wood. In our online survey, the Rustic style has been the most popular design style with our viewers.
The Nature-Inspired section (my favorite!) features light reclaimed teak, natural wax finishes, and sustainable products (banana bark, bamboo, abaca, sea grass, water hyacinth.) Earthen vases, leafy motifs, vetiver root runners, river rocks, and water features add a soothing ambiance to this section. Upscale products derived from natural, sustainable sources are showcased as stunning accent pieces. Right now we have an Indian antique canoe carved from a solid piece of wood hanging from our 22’ foot ceiling in this section; it is filled with rattan balls and natural accessories to give a beautiful earthy atmosphere.
Q.: What can shoppers expect with prices? How does the customer pay? Will you have prices on the website?
A.: We consider our prices to be in the low to middle range. Many products that we directly import from Bali, Indonesia are extremely well-priced for the average shopper. We have some higher ticket items such as architectural doors and archways from India as well as some middle/high end accessories from companies like Global Views or Palecek. But the highest price piece of furniture in our showroom is around $3000, which is quite reasonable for the quality and exotic factor of the furniture.
Currently, customers pay for items in our retail showroom or by calling in with a credit card number when viewing the website. Our e-commerce store will open on June 1, and customers will be able to pay online for those purchases.
Q.: I noticed you have one-of-a-kind pieces, can you speak to that and your “customization” offer.
A.: Any of our furniture designs at 505 can be customized and built to specific color and dimensions. We can also build furniture from pictures or drawings, and we can determine specific wood types and finishes.
We have many special pieces from India that are built from old architectural pieces or salvaged sections of buildings. One-of-a-kind pieces of furniture are constructed using new wood along with these eco-friendly salvaged “antiques”, so each will be different according to size, old paint color and carvings.
We can custom order pieces by getting pictures emailed to us from our factory of salvage pieces that are available. A unique but custom piece can be built from these architectural finds, and the pricing of the custom piece will be close to one of similar size and design. Also, when I am on one of my trips to India, I choose specific architectural pieces to make into new designs. The old India pieces are my favorite because a slice of history is preserved and a new work of beauty is completed at the same time.
Q.: Do you offer design services?
A.: YES! We do offer a free design service at 505. We have a designer who works with our store, and she can be called in for special projects. Also, my mom and I are available to go to homes and businesses to give advice or do a complete design. We will be featuring 3 recent commercial projects and 1 residential project in the next few months in our monthly online newsletter.
Q.: I saw an association link with Rowe upholstered furniture and art from a specific artist. How is that going?
A.: Our association with Rowe has become an increasingly important part of our business in the last two years. We are pleased with the quality and warranty of Rowe Fine Furniture as well as with the variety of fabrics and upholstery styles available. The sofa groupings in our store soften the look of the wood furniture and help us achieve the “wow” settings that we are known for.
The beautiful original art by Vickie Singletary not only gives our store an atmosphere of class, but it also helps to define our design styles. Vickie provides art for each section of our store and consults with us on design colors and motifs. Her original art is a higher ticket item; we have not sold a great number of paintings (other than design projects), but we are working together to try to make the art accessible and affordable for our customers.
Q.: You have franchise opportunities on the website. Would you like to add a comment about that?
A.: The franchise opportunity from 505 Imports is an open door for those visionary souls who need an outlet for their creative and entrepreneurial spirit. It is not a business for the “faint of heart,” but one that is constantly evolving and allows for individual expression of creativity (while staying within the 505 style boundaries.) It is also a wonderful opportunity for profit, for travel, and for adventure.
Q.: Is there anything you would like Home and Living Readers to know about 505 Imports?
A.: My mother and I are very passionate about our 3 businesses and the direction they are taking us. (505 Imports, LLC, 505 Imports Franchise, and Beyond Borders Imports, the manufacturing company.) In the next 10 years, we would like to open 10 – 15 franchise stores in neighboring states in the South (Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, etc.)
Entering and winning the Make Mine a Million Dollar Business Contest has been a huge turning point for the two of us. It has 
probably been the greatest single influence to open our eyes to even greater possibilities for growth. We have been so inspired by the gathering of such a large group of women entrepreneurs that we started our own local group of women in business, LASG, Lake Area Shoppe Girls. We meet once a month to support, encourage, and inspire each other, and our group is growing by leaps and bounds.
It will never be our intention to be exclusive and self-absorbed; we want to reach out to the community in every way possible, not just in Lake Charles or Louisiana, but in India and Indonesia and other countries we export from. Our goal as we grow is to give back to the local areas around our factories—not only to supply jobs but to help improve lives. We have social and ecological issues at the heart of our business agenda—to extend help, to plant trees, to make the planet a better place to live. Our current mission is the greening of our business. We are in the process of applying to the Sustainable Furniture Council and are putting practices into place at 505 Imports that are earth-friendly. So far, we have seen very little interest in our community for these issues, so we are starting with raising awareness. Our employees at 505 are completely on board with our mission, and I feel that it is just a matter of time before the community will begin to respond as well.
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