Chaz has furniture that is elegant and interesting By Clare Marie Celano If your taste in home décor runs toward the unusual, the romantic, or the exotic, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for at Chaz Furniture in Freehold. Not only will you be able to browse through rows and rows of wonderful, creatively crafted pieces of furniture, but you’ll have expert guidance to steer you in the direction you need. Mersene and Chuck Stapp have owned and operated the furniture store on South Street for more than 20 years and pride themselves on stocking "a little bit of everything." Although the store specializes in baker’s racks, the couple also carries bedroom and dining room furniture as well as some lovely upholstered pieces for your living room. Furniture accessories are also a part of the landscape of this wonderful showroom. Photos by Chris Kelly A wide variety of baker’s racks, as well as dining room and bedroom furniture, can be found at Chaz Furniture in Freehold. Wandering through the aisles, your vision will take in a wide variety of designs, textures and color. From the contemporary, sleek look of brushed steel to the warm, rustic and colorful painted furniture designs of what Mersene Stapp calls the "Tuscan wine country" look, the selection is endless. Known for its ability to have that "odd piece of furniture," Chaz Furniture can accommodate just about any pocketbook. The shop’s specialty, baker’s racks, can be used in any room, according to Stapp. She adds that with the recent surge in the building of "mini-estate" homes, with kitchens that "go on forever," Stapp said that she does quite a bit of business accommodating customers as they attempt to fill up the large space. "Our baker’s racks come in many styles, colors and finishes," Stapp explained. "We can also customize them with colors and design and finishes of your choice." Whether your taste moves toward the modern and sleek, or toward the warm feel of country, there’s a baker’s rack to fit your needs. The showroom displays some wonderful pieces that do not fit the mold of "just a baker’s rack." Some have wooden shelves, others have tile or glass, still others have marble or mosaic. Many combine the warmth of wood bases with brushed-painted metal tops and shelves. One rack, particularly unique, combines the warm beauty of wood with an exotic Bombay chest base containing two drawers. The straw inlay, with painted rose-colored flowers on the front and sides of the chest, give the piece wonderful Asian authenticity. Another baker’s rack combines a cream-colored, brush-painted metal with a wooden base. The metal top with its scrolled openwork has a scalloped, wood top designed with lovely painted leaves, giving the piece an up-to-date look but allows a hint of days gone by. Some baker’s racks include wine racks, and others are displayed with shelves for special glassware and dishware. Still others are perfect for books or to dis­play your favorite treasures in a den, bedroom, or dining room. The store’s collection of painted furniture is quite popular these days, accord­ing to Stapp. Do you have a desire to transform your home into an Italian villa? Stapp can help you make it happen. The showroom has numerous displays of painted pieces that instantly visually transport you to Europe. Beautiful dining room tables with matching hutches take you to another place. One set has hand-painted, distressed wooden pieces that give the furniture an antique look. Painted in a warm, cream-colored finish that appears to have been washed with a hint of gold and sage, the lovely hutch comes with hand-painted cabinets that have green and deep purple bunches of grapes surrounded by wonderful, deli­cate, green vines. Warm, comfortable and inviting, these pieces are the closest you’ll ever get to "wine country" without an airline ticket. There are many other painted pieces, like room dividers and delicately de­signed chests of drawers, that allow you to take the "wine country" look to any room in your home. Chaz Furniture can help you to work at home with a large desk that will let you work in an environment that is elegant as well as functional. The large, smooth, dark wooden desk surface allows the space you need for work, the concealed drop-down drawer lets you set up your keyboard, and the elegantly scrolled wooden edges remind you that this is not just another desk. "Our furniture comes from all over," Stapp said. Many pieces come from differ­ent states, and others come from halfway around the world. Stapp said that they offer personal service you simply won’t find in a depart­ment store. They will spend as long as it takes for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. And if you don’t see it, don’t fret. Stapp will take you catalogue shopping right there until you do. Personal service and expertise are what make Chaz Furniture stand apart from other places. Because the store deals in specialty items, the Stapps have a real knowl­edge of their merchandise. "We know what we’re doing," Stapp advised. Furniture accessories are also a specialty here. If you’re looking for a unique lamp or side table with character and flair, Chaz probably has it. Lovely metal lamps, with Tiffany-style shades in beautiful colors and designs, are sprinkled throughout the store. Whether it’s a unique floor lamp you’re searching for or a tiny boudoir lamp with a metal base and a delicately crafted shade with elegant hanging beads, Chaz can accommodate your needs. The atmosphere is comfortable and accommodating, the staff is approachable, and the visual displays are alternately elegant, warm, beautiful and interesting. Hours of operation at Chaz Furniture are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The store is open most Sundays from 12:30-5 p.m. Stapp advises shoppers to call ahead on Sundays to make certain the store is open. For further information, call Chaz Furniture at (732) 431-9492.