70 Years of Trust: How Family-Owned Watts Furniture Thrives on Customer Service

When customers walk through the doors of Watts Furniture and Mattresses on Commerce Avenue, they are stepping into more than a showroom filled with sofas, dining tables and mattresses. They are stepping into a 70-year legacy of family ownership, local commitment and relationships that span generations in LaGrange.

Founded in 1955, Watts Furniture has grown alongside the community it serves. While many locally owned furniture stores have come and gone, Watts Furniture has endured, adapting to changing times while remaining true to the values on which it was built.

Today, the business is led by Ryan Watts, who represents the third generation of his family to guide the store.

"It's actually our 70th anniversary this year (2025)," Watts said. "My grandfather started it as just a small family-run furniture store focused on honest pricing, taking care of our customers."

That grandfather, William Watts, opened the original store with a simple mission: treat customers fairly and provide quality furniture at honest prices. Over time, that philosophy became the foundation of the business, helping to earn the trust of LaGrange families.

The store’s physical footprint has changed over the decades. Watts Furniture began on Hamilton Road before relocating downtown near what is now the Army store on Hines Street. In the 1970s, the business moved to its current home on Commerce Avenue, where it has remained ever since.

The building may look modest from the outside, but inside it tells a different story. "It's like 25,000 to 30,000 square feet," Ryan Watts said. "So we show a lot of furniture." The spacious showroom allows customers to browse entire room setups and see a wide range of styles, finishes and fabrics.

Family continuity has been a defining feature of Watts Furniture’s success. After William Watts passed away, the business was carried forward by his children, including Ryan’s father, Billy Watts, and Billy's sister, Patsy. They guided the store through decades of change, from the economic shifts of the 1990s to the rapid modernization of retail in the 2000s.

Ryan Watts officially took over day-to-day leadership around 2018. "That's when I came in and kind of modernized the business, brought everything online on the computer," he said. That modernization included launching and maintaining a comprehensive website, something Ryan largely manages himself. "That's probably the hardest part of my job, keeping up with the website," he said. "It's something I enjoy, but it's hard for a small business to keep up with."

While Watts Furniture now has a strong online presence, Ryan believes the physical store remains essential. Furniture, especially higher-end pieces, is something many customers still want to see and touch before making a purchase. "We carry nicer furniture, so a lot of times people still want to come in, see it," he said. "The trust presence online isn't the same as coming into the store and putting faces with a name since we're not a big box store."

That personal connection is at the heart of what sets Watts Furniture apart. Watts is quick to draw a contrast between his family’s business and large chain stores. "We're not like a big box store. We're not driven by numbers and quotas," he said. "We don't see customers as just transactions walking through the door. We see them as people part of our community, and we actually care about helping them find what they actually need."

That approach shapes every interaction, from selecting a sofa to choosing a mattress. Instead of pushing the most expensive item, the focus is on fit, comfort and long-term value. "Our focus is always on what's best for our customers," Ryan said. "We're really low-pressure with people who want to come in and just browse around the store. We're not gonna breathe down their neck. We want them to feel like they're at home here."

Over the years, the store’s product offerings have evolved. In the 1980s, Watts Furniture sold appliances, electronics and televisions. Today, the focus is firmly on high-quality furniture and mattresses. "We've got a lot of American-made brands, like Bassett, Craftmaster, La-Z-Boy, Best furniture," Ryan said. Many of the pieces are crafted in Virginia and North Carolina, and they feature solid wood construction and artisan craftsmanship.

Customization is another hallmark of the store. Customers can choose from hundreds of fabrics and leathers, as well as different wood finishes, to create furniture that fits their homes and personal styles. "If they see something on the floor that they don't quite like, we can usually change it to make it exactly what they want," Ryan said.

That level of service has helped Watts Furniture build relationships that last for decades. Ryan regularly hears stories from customers whose families have shopped at the store for generations. "We have people come in all the time," he said. "Younger families come in that just had a baby, and they tell us stories about how their parents shopped here, their grandparents shopped here."

For Ryan, those moments are affirming. "It means a lot that they trust us and their families trusted us over the years," he said. "It really reinforces what we're doing, taking care of our local customers, our people."

Watts Furniture’s commitment to LaGrange extends beyond its showroom. The business regularly donates furniture to local charities, including Habitat ReStore, Goodwill and the Salvation Army, ensuring the furniture finds new homes with families in need. The store also supports local organizations and schools, from youth programs to high school clubs. "If people come in and they need a small donation here and there, that's something that we're always willing to do to give back to our community," Ryan said.

Today, the business is operated by a small but dedicated family team. Ryan runs the bulk of the operation, handling sales, marketing and day-to-day management. His father, Billy, and aunt, Patsy, still work alongside him, helping customers and sharing decades of experience.

As Watts Furniture celebrates its 70th anniversary, they are mindful of both the past and the future. "We're proud of our 70-year history," Ryan shared, "but we're also very focused on the future." Plans are already in place for improvements, including an exterior renovation aimed at enhancing the customer experience. For Watts Furniture, the goal is simple but deeply rooted in tradition: "Our goal going forward is to make sure that Watts Furniture remains a place that families can keep coming back to like they have for the past 70 years."

In a retail world increasingly dominated by national chains and online marketplaces, Watts Furniture and Mattresses stands as a reminder that longevity is built on trust, service and genuine care for the community. After 70 years, those values remain firmly in place — just like the family that started it all.