Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture has a large inventory with a wide assortment of living room, dining room and bedroom decor along with antiques. It’s what sole proprietor Kristi Lawson calls high-quality affordable bargains for everyone. Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture opened on May 19 in the old Key Bank building at 315 E. State St. Lawson is pictured with her husband, Ken. (Salem News photo by Larry Shields)

SALEM — With just under 3,000 square feet of showroom space, it’s doubtful the old Key Bank building could be put to better use than with the Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture store now located in it.

Inside the time-honored building at the corner of South Broadway Avenue and East State Street is what store owner, Kristi Lawson, calls “a very large inventory” and selection of new and used furniture and home decor.

There will be many customers walking through the door at 315 E. State St. and many satisfied buyers walking out.

Lawson and her husband, Ken, opened Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture on May 19 so they’re “fresh out of the gate,” Kristi said.

She is from Cortland and her husband is from Minerva and they moved to just outside of Salem because it was about halfway.

They wanted to be in Salem and “continue a family tradition” as Ken’s grandparents owned Hazen Used Furniture and Gift Shop in Minerva for 50 years. So in a way, Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture is a legacy store.

“We were going to estate sales with grandma,” she explained.

“They retired,” Lawson, attended Youngstown State University studying marketing and public relations, said, “and here we are.”

Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture specializes in living room, dining room and bedroom furniture and has a large selection mattresses along with some antiques.

Lawson has 15 years retail experience, with 10 in management.

She said used bedding items are a top, No. 1 seller.

“We’ve received pretty good, positive feedback,” she said, noting they just sold a circa 1920 Hoosier Cabinet.

“It was priced to sell, not collect,” she said, adding there is an Amos and Andy 1920 vintage toy, and a Victorian rocker on display.

“In order for us to keep the price down, we have to get it for a good price,” she said.

Licensed as a sole proprietorship, she said Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture “is aimed at bargain hunters and we stay high quality and affordable for everyone.”

Ken said, “We try to keep top-of-the-line furniture. A lot of people think thrift shop but we’re higher quality … quality is high but the price is low.”

Store hours are easy to remember, Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information call 234-567-2200 or visit Lawson’s Once Loved Furniture on Facebook.

lshields@salemnews.net