‘Here for the long haul’: One of Belleville’s oldest businesses unveils major renovation
Mueller Furniture & Mattress recently completed a $300,000 remodel of its nearly 100-year-old Belleville store. The updates include a showroom expansion, new flooring, ceiling, lighting, paint and in-store kiosks.
The renovations focus on enhancing the overall customer experience, said fourth-generation Owner and President Mark Mueller.
The remodel took place at the back of the building on the east side, which was a 1995 addition to the existing building. It was originally a parking lot, said Mueller.
The work included getting rid of the pegboard on the walls. In doing so, the brick wall that was the original exterior of the building was uncovered. The exposed brick was left to show off a bit of the business’ history.
A new addition to the store are the new kiosks that customers can use to customize and visualize different products.
The business is nearly 100 years old, but Mueller says he’s all for the use new technology if it makes shopping easier for the customers. With the kiosk, users can change the finish color on the pieces they like and zoom in to see the rendering up close.
It’s a great representation – very realistic. Users can search by furniture type, room, collection and more. The kiosk stand itself also has wood samples to give customers a hands-on element to the process.
“It’s a really cool tool [to] take your shopping experience to the next level,” said Mueller.
For the last year and a half, the building’s front and roof were redone and the interior was painted. This latest project – which Mueller called Phase 3 – included getting rid of the drop ceiling and carpet, exposing some of the historic building’s structural elements.
Mueller gives Jim Bohanon, the business’ retired sales manager and woodworking expert, credit for the “prairie-style” architecture of the remodel, which ties in well with the Amish furnishings their business is known for.
Phases 1 and 2 were updates to the front of the store and interior painting, respectively. There are plans for Phases 4 and 5 of the renovation as well. Phase 4 will include a remodel to the original (west) side of the building. That remodel will be similar to the recently completed project.
Mueller told me a little about the original side of the building. The dining room area currently has a drop ceiling, added after a 1977 fire that caused the second floor to collapse. He said that a couple of years ago they took a peek above the drop ceiling and found that the original 1920s ceiling is still there and could likely be restored.
Another section at the front of the store has art deco-patterned tin tiles on the ceiling. This part of the store was redone in 2014, helping to jump start the renovation projects that followed.
It was around this time that Mueller Furniture launched a TV campaign emphasizing its American-made furniture selection, which Mueller says is the St. Louis area’s largest.
That campaign resulted in an increase in sales in Belleville, said Mueller, allowing for the recent expansion.
Since then, Mueller Furniture opened two Missouri locations and a warehouse showroom in Fairview Heights.
Mueller said the work is part of an initiative to keep the business going long after it celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2027.
“We’re here for the long haul,” said Mueller.
About Mueller Furniture
Mueller Furniture was founded in 1927 by John Mueller, who ran the business until his death in 1952. It was then run by his sons, Roland Mueller and Les Mueller. Roland died in 1960.
Les, who once pitched for the Detroit Tigers, continued to run Mueller Furniture until retiring in the 1970s. He died in 2012.
In March 2017, the Lake St. Louis store opened at 9 Fountain Grass Drive, Lake St. Louis, Missouri. The business was then being run by John Mueller’s grandson, Lynwood Mueller, who retired in January 2022.
In May 2021, a third location opened at 15424 Manchester Road in Ellisville, Missouri.
At that time, Mark Mueller said they “made the decision to open this store based on our customer feedback. We knew that people in St. Louis and St. Louis County wanted a quality, locally-owned furniture option and it was just a matter of us finding the right location.”
Mueller Furniture and Mattress Warehouse and Showroom, the fourth store, opened in August 2023 at the former Weekends Only site at 51 Commerce Lane in Fairview Heights.
In spring 2024, Mueller Furniture and Mattress was named 2024 Retailer of the Year by the Home Furnishings Association. Mark, along with his father, Lynwood, accepted the award on March 15 at the Fairview Heights store.
Mueller Furniture’s original location is at 1004 E. Main St. in Belleville. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, and 12:30-5 p.m. Sunday.
Operating hours in Fairview Heights are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 12:30-5 p.m. Sunday. Hours at the Missouri stores are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 12:30-5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, visit muellerfurniture.com. Call 618-233-0667 for the Belleville store, 618-233-0667 for Fairview Heights or 636-234-3361 for either Missouri store.
