By Misty Hall
Designers have called For Your Home furnishings in downtown Ventura one of the best-kept secrets on the Central Coast. Step inside, and it’s easy to see why: their two-story, 16,000 sq. ft. showroom has a massive selection of items — appropriately — for your home.
It started with Brian Seelos, who co-owned a waterbed factory in L.A. back in the ‘70s. But on a visit north, he fell in love with Ventura’s beaches and charming neighborhoods, and decided to move there. Soon he found a beautiful, historic retail space in downtown Ventura, with exposed wood and brick, plenty of natural light from skylights, and two floors of show space. It was the ideal location for Brian’s new business, Dreamweaver Waterbeds … which would eventually become For Your Home, offering California-style furnishings.
Brian recruited his brother, Kevin, to join him in the venture. Fresh out of UCLA with an Economics degree and a background as a furniture delivery boy, Kevin was the ideal partner. It’s long been a family affair at For Your Home; over the years, several other family members — siblings, kids, nieces, nephews — have worked in the store.
Today, the brothers offer a wide array of furniture, beds, home décor, art, lamps, rugs, and just about anything else you’d need to furnish your home (and plenty to fill your business, too).
“Our specialty is furniture that you can order the way you want, and most of that is American made,” said Kevin. “The best of the American made products are built by the Amish. The quality is amazing. Most of the Amish furniture is built by small family-owned shops in Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana.”
The Amish pieces come in a surprising variety of styles, from traditional to modern. Outdated horse-and-buggy stuff, this is not — it is hand crafted by artisans who favor clean lines, classic yet contemporary styling, and beautiful, quality woods like cherry, maple, oak, hickory, walnut, and quarter-sawn white oak.
For Your Home offers a variety of other furniture styles, too: Mission, Mid-Century, Arts & Crafts, Modern, Rustic, Shaker, eco-friendly/sustainable, eclectic, even retro 1950s diner-style furniture. Feeling unsure (or a little overwhelmed) about what you want? For Your Home’s staff — many who have been with the store for decades — can help you find the right items to fit your space.
Looking for something a little different? They’ve got your back there, too. “Some unique items are eco-friendly bamboo furniture, locally made items produced with wine barrels from the Santa Ynez Valley, and surfboard furniture made by another local craftsman,” Kevin said.
Have a space that needs to serve multiple purposes, like a home office that occasionally doubles as a guest room? Check out For Your Home’s cabinet beds. “These are high quality cabinets that are available in many finishes, and they contain a folding memory foam mattress,” Kevin said.
For Your Home can also help you create your perfect custom piece. “The ‘build your own dining table’ concept is our most popular Amish program,” Kevin said. “Customers choose the size and shape of the table, the pedestal or legs, the shape of the edges, number of leaves, type of wood, and the finish.” You can also choose from a wide selection of chairs for a look all your own.
Need to get your new pieces home from the store? For Your Home does their own deliveries in their own truck, and will deliver all over Southern California north to Morro Bay.
Being a local business in a small community, For Your Home prides itself on high-quality service and making sure you get exactly what you’re looking for. “When you deal with our store, you get personalized service,” Kevin emphasized. “A very large percentage of our business comes from repeat customers and referrals which is due to the way we treat people and the quality of our products.”
When you’ve been part of a community for more than four decades, those relationships matter. The Seelos brothers have deep roots here. Born in Los Angeles, they moved to Ventura County in the 1970s and never left. They’re passionate about the area, raising their kids here, spending their free time outdoors, and volunteering with groups like the Ventura Downtown Lions Club.
The next time you’re in Downtown Ventura, stop in at For Your Home and see for yourself why they were voted Best Home Furnishings in the VC Reporter for 2019.
For Your Home is at 443 E Main St. in Ventura. For more information, see fyhfurn.com.