‘Small town, big style’
Denio’s Furniture compliments construction and design business
By Fred Afflerbach | Photography by Justin Borja
Back in 1982, husband-and-wife-team Jim and Gwen Denio decided to open a furniture showroom to compliment their growing construction and design business in Cameron. But that move came with a caveat from Jim. They lived a few miles outside Cameron and he didn’t want to work in town.
“Jim said, ‘If you’re going to open a store, it’s going to be right next door and it’s going to look like an old western town,’” Gwen recalled. “He thought if it doesn’t go the first year, I’m going to have a good hay barn. But the first year we had to double the size.”
Thirty-eight years later, Gwen jokes about “being put out to pasture.” And that’s a good thing because the second and third generations of Denios have taken the reins and now operate the bustling, 15,000-square-foot showroom and busy remodeling and home design company.
Driving along U.S. Highway 77 north of Cameron, you may have seen the big, red storefront that looks like a western wear and feed store outpost. But inside, the Denios have assembled everything necessary to transform even the most outdated and forlorn house into a warm and cozy home oozing country charm with a sprinkle of modern flair.
The showroom exudes comfort and serenity with a focus on earth colors, organic elements, natural stone, and even some reclaimed barn wood furniture. Accent pieces such as a highly sanded and polished tree stump, nickel table lamps, vases and mirrors compliment the leather sofas and modern gas fireplace inserts.
Regardless how large or small your needs, the Denio team is eager to help, whether you want to purchase just a single coffee table, a full dining set, or need a professional to hold your hand throughout a major remodeling.
Denio’s also designs and furnishes new homes. Working hand-in-hand with builders and homeowners, they help customers select window treatments, flooring and lighting. And they coordinate furniture purchases and placement. Denio’s doesn’t chase the latest fads. They follow trends with a focus on the long term.
Gwen’s daughter-in-law Franci Denio says natural colors such as blue-green, olive-green and coral are in style. As for overall themes, industrial with exposed beams, ductwork and vents, and modern farmhouse with simple lines are popular.
Franci joined the family business 25 years ago, after graduating Texas A&M with a business degree. Along with her husband Randy, they have seamlessly steered Denio’s from one generation to another. Franci says interior design is in her blood.
“I grew up sewing and working with fabrics. In college, I decorated all my friends’ dorm rooms,” she says. “Then I continued sewing draperies and other things for extra money. I had a business.”
Even after a quarter century helping clients transform their homes, Franci says that, “Every day is a different day. And every customer is so fun, to see what they’re going for and how to accomplish it. I think that’s the most rewarding part of my job, just to know we got what they wanted. We’re small town, but we’ve got big style.”
Daughter Jayci, 27, splits her time at Denio’s and two small businesses she has hatched in Temple. Like her two siblings, she grew up in the showroom. (The Denios at one time kept a baby bed in their office.) Today, Jayci stages new and model homes with furniture and accessories that help expedite sales. She also stages houses for the Parade of Homes in Temple. Jayci says she was influenced by both sides of the family, two creative grandmothers who made an impact on her early years.
Although Jayci and Franci are cut from the same cloth, they sometimes disagree. But that’s OK. “Our relationship is we can be really honest with each other,” Jayci says. “I can tell Mom that doesn’t look good. And it’s the other way around.”
Denio’s relies on referrals and repeat business. Melanie Romine, a Cameron resident and business owner, is now on her third remodeling project with Denio’s, going back 25 years.
“She (Franci) gets to know your likes and dislikes and colors; and she puts together wonderful things,” Romine says. “They’re very genuine. They’re going to give you the best price for the money and not try to take you to the cleaners. It’s just a good, hometown, small town business that I think can compete with anybody in Dallas, or Houston, or any big city.”
Situated in Cameron, Denio’s sits like the hub in a wagon wheel, delivering to communities across much of Central Texas. The crew of about a dozen workers and a small fleet of trucks travel from Waco to Temple to College Station to Georgetown.
Hanging out at Denio’s showroom, it feels like everyone who walks through the door is a close friend or relative. On a chilly February morning, Franci’s high school English teacher dropped by. Later, a smiling UPS man who’s been delivering to Denio’s for more than 20 years delivered a package and discussion about the booming local development broke out. And one morning a cow surprised Franci by sneaking in a back door that had been left open.
Maybe it’s still waiting on Jim to build that hay barn.
Denio’s
850 N. Highway 77 Cameron
254-697-6759
