STORY AND PHOTOS BY LaVerne Stevens
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Lori Draper’s New and Used Furniture store is much more than just a furniture shop. It is truly a decorator’s haven with 10,000 square feet of space filled with furniture and decorator pieces of all kinds.

Lori has been in her own furniture business for sixteen years. She‘s had three locations during that time and is currently located in the Historic Downtown Lake Wales District. Her husband of thirty-two years, Mike Draper comes from a family who has been in the furniture business for three generations beginning in 1916. Lori and her two talented associates, Jacque Palomaki and Letisia Baker run the business, keeping everything fresh and newly arranged. Things are always getting moved around as items get sold. Letisia is especially talented in window dressing. People love to come to see the everchanging window displays.

The front of Lori’s store is all windows, so one can actually “window shop”, but let me warn you that the temptation will be too great. You will have to go in and look inside. The more you look the more new things you will see.

The used furniture section contains 5000 square feet of furniture and items of good quality in “like new” condition. Many of these have been traded in when a person orders new furniture. This often helps with the purchase of new items. You can wander through this section and reminisce when you see items that your mother might have had in your home when you were a child, such as a porcelain top kitchen table or a set of dark brown crockery mixing bowls.

The other section of the store is 5000 square feet of new furniture, decorator items, wall hangings, lamps, mattresses and foundation sets. There are a variety of bedroom groups to choose from. One can purchase a whole set or just one piece. The table and chair sets run from a small dinette set to the large formal heavy oak dining room furniture.

Much of what Lori carries reflects a Florida feeling. This is a haven for Florida tourists, who are looking for just the right memento to carry home or a gift for the “house sitter”. Flamingos are everywhere throughout the shop in all sizes and venues. There are Flamingo pictures, towels, statuettes, throw rugs, and more. Wicker items are many. Sofas and sleepers with bright Florida prints to accent the Florida Room of your home are available in many colors and styles. Wall hangings depicting ocean fish and beach scenes fill the walls.

There are different, unusual styles of multi-drawer chests and armoires. Flexsteel is the upscale line of furniture that Lori carries. It is known for its steel inner construction resulting in long lasting sturdiness. The girls are adept at helping one select the right fabric and color to go on a frame a customer chooses. One can purchase items off the floor or order them to be made as a special order to fit into the décor of their home. Curio cabinets and entertainment centers can be ordered in a choice of colors and finishes.

Three panel wicker screens and bamboo door curtains can be used as room dividers or accent pieces are available in bamboo, shells, beads and more. One can build a room around a theme. This is great fun for teen bedrooms. Themed lamp bases depict beach cottages, or summer patio scenes. Room accessories are too numerous to mention, as well as a large selection of Bridgewater Candles.

The girls make a four-day excursion to Atlanta periodically where a buyers’ wholesale market is located. Here they search for just the right unusual decorator pieces that are needed to fill the shop. This brings people into the store from as far away as Fort Lauderdale, Vero Beach, and St. Augustine. One customer recently came into the store from a great distance away and said, “I always have to come here!” Therefore, delivery is negotiable to these outlying areas.

Lori Draper’s New & Used Furniture is located at 123 E. Park Avenue, in the Historic District of Downtown Lake Wales. It’s a fun place to shop! Their phone number is (863) 676-9195 and hours are Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. After hour customers can be accommodated by appointment. Major credit cards are accepted with exception of American Express.