Emily Barrett and Michael Perry are people living their dream. Having worked for other home furnishing stores for years, in 2004 they struck out one their own to create something beautiful and eco-friendly too. Their first Porto store in Raleigh's North Hills shopping center is where they refined that vision selecting products that are uncompromising in quality of
craftsmanship and original design. Since then, in 2007 they opened a second store in Chapel Hill's Eastgate shopping center which has just undergone a major refurbishment with the arrival of Trader Joe's.
Porto is more than a home furnishings store. Emily and Michael wanted it to be a part of the global community, and it is. They believe that their responsibilities go beyond the showroom doors, so Porto’s collections are designed and manufactured by companies who practice environmental and social responsibility. Porto is a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, and so far the only store in the State to be acccredited by the organization.
They've also found that being green can save money. They estimate that the new store which is completely lit by compact fluorescent bulbs is saving them over $10,000 per year in energy costs. So they're in the process of replacing the bulbs in the North Hills shop too.
As
a business, Porto also makes it a practice to give back to the
community. The partners do that by sponsoring and participating in many
charitable endeavors, including an annual fundraiser for Habitat for
Humanity.
Such a shame that the store closed down! They had great furniture and were really committed to sustainability.
Posted by: Cindy | Oct 06, 2008 at 09:00 PM