From Scandinavian-styled everything to Art Deco dabbles to Art Nouveau rocking chairs, furniture trends have come, gone and repeated. Amid the ebbs and flows, a constant in the South Florida space has been Baer’s Furniture.
Stepping inside a Baer’s store is a true explorative-meets-educational experience. Its selections span the living room, bedroom, mattress, office, outdoor and window treatment spectrums, with a solution for seemingly anything in between. Beyond items to browse, the company offers free interior design services and has an extensive delivery operation statewide.
With roots dating back to 1945, the home furnishing and services destination now has 16 stores throughout the Sunshine State, stretching from Jacksonville down to Pinecrest and points in between. Fun fact: the first Baer’s store was actually in South Bend, Indiana, and its first Florida store, in Dania, opened in 1968.
The company is the brainchild of namesakes Melvin and Lucille Baer. Today, the company is managed by their grandson CEO Jerome Baer, Executive Vice Presidents Larry Baer and Cathy Baer, and CFO Ira Baer. Few folks have their finger on the pulse of South Florida furniture trends like Cathy, who oversees eight South Florida stores from Stuart down to Pinecrest.
Amid all of its business endeavors and entering the holidays, Cathy Baer has a few observations on what’s most in demand at the moment.
“This time of year, dining rooms and sleeper sofas are in high demand,” she says. “People are having guests over for holiday celebrations and they need to be able to comfortably accommodate them. We carry stock for immediate delivery so our clients can have their homes set up and ready for the holiday season.”
Beyond the holidays and what Baer calls “the biggest trends of 2024 and since the beginning of the COVID pandemic” has been morphing homes into true oases of comfort and utilizing outdoor spaces more and more. In addition, motion furniture – which is any piece of furniture that has the ability to rock, swivel, recline or move – continues to gain steam over traditional, stationary furniture. Even mattresses with adjustable bases are becoming more popular. Baer adds, “real formal is out and casual is in. People are looking for inviting, comfortable cozy spaces. Years ago, most furniture had straight lines and angular corners. We are seeing curved sofas and soft edges becoming more popular.”
Among the brands leading the charge are Natuzzi Editions, for its leather offerings, Bernhardt, Lexington and Tommy Bahama. Baer says “Tommy Bahama offers a relaxed interpretation of resort living. They use an array of natural materials that add a lot of texture and interest to their collections. Tommy Bahama really captures and brings that outdoor living feeling inside.”
Looking ahead to the new year, Baer’s will celebrate its 80th anniversary toward the end of 2025. Plans for the celebration are still very much being solidified. On the milestone, Baer says, “For 80 years, the Baer Family has been here to serve our clients. It’s always great to hear the stories of our multigenerational customers buying from the same store as their parents and grandparents. It is impressive that this or any other business can survive four generations.”
As part of the 80th anniversary celebration, Baer says its employees will be front and center. Currently, the company has approximately 750 employees across its operations. She says, “We couldn’t have done any of this without our amazing and valuable employees, who are all like family to us. In fact, we have an employee who has been with Baer’s 63 years and counting. In today’s world, it is unusual for employees to stay anywhere 25-35 years; we are fortunate that we have many. You do not see that longevity with too many businesses anymore.”
As for the next generation of Baer’s, things seem to be in great, familial hands. She says, “The fourth generation is already working and thriving within the company. One doesn’t know about the future, but we will be striving for five generations!”
