GREENBAUM INTERIORS HAS BEEN FILLING GARDEN STATE HOMES WITH TIMELESS AND ELEGANT DÉCOR FOR MORE THAN SIX DECADES

BY JESSICA JONES-GORMAN • PHOTOS BY AMESSÉ PHOTOGRAPHY

When Jimmy and Alvin Greenbaum opened their interior design firm in a corner building in the center of Paterson’s historic downtown district in 1952, they could have never imagined the small business’s ultimate reach. But after 63 years as one of New Jersey’s premier design companies and through countless expansions and the birth of the business’ own furniture line, the Greenbaum style now graces classic homes throughout The Garden State and beyond.

“Together they launched this business, combining my father’s business acumen and my uncle’s artistry as a designer,” noted Susan Greenbaum-Gross, Jimmy’s daughter, who currently serves as president of the family company, of which her father is still an integral part. “The store was born in that one corner building but just continued to expand over the years. The warehouse and showroom now exists across nine different buildings and occupies over 100,000 square feet in Paterson. We also have another showroom in Morristown and just recently opened a design studio in Ridgewood.”

Greenbaum Interiors, which carries lines from more than 2,000 vendors—including the likes of Century, Hickory Chair, Theodore and Alexander, and Lillian August—also features a staff of 30 artisans who create custom pieces for clients around the world, built its solid reputation on personalized service.

“We offer the ultimate personal shopping experience,” Greenbaum-Gross said. “We have tremendous resources, but if we cannot find the right product in our inventory or locate it, we will design and make it. Nothing is impossible.”

Specialized workrooms also set Greenbaum’s apart. Custom pieces are built or custom finishes added to stock pieces to make each piece “just right.” Customer-owned items can also be restored or resized if an owner downsizes or relocates.

“Recovering a customer’s piece often freshens up an entire room,” Greenbaum-Gross said. “Artisans work from designers’ sketches creating each to the most exact specifications. The process allows designers and customers a chance to see the pieces come to life, leaving room as well for last minute changes or enhancements.”

According to Greenbaum-Gross, who joined the family enterprise in 1987 after working in merchandizing for Bloomingdale’s furniture department, it’s all about customer satisfaction.

“We had a client stop by last Saturday to tell us that we decorated their home 55 years ago. They’ve since put fresh fabrics on the frames, but still have all of our pieces, which is such a wonderful compliment.”

“Our furniture is very high end…very specific to our clients’ wants and needs,” the designer said. “If I could purchase something for them in the marketplace, I will, otherwise we will make it to fit specifically in their space. I think it’s that highly customized service that separates us from everybody else.”

Both contemporary and traditional styles are available as well as one-of-a-kind antiques and area rugs purchased in Europe or Asia, plus unusual accessories, fabrics and wallcoverings of every type. The satellite offices in Morristown and Ridgewood (both located in homes, one of which dates to 1835) feature different styles in every room to display Greenbaum’s design technique.

“Our style is classic and timeless,” Greenbaum-Gross said, adding that client tastes and color palettes are discussed in the initial office consultation and then designers visit the client’s home, going room to room discussing how they’d like to proceed. This full-service design work is done both locally and in homes across the country.

“Customers can come in on their own and make a selection or enjoy the services of one of our talented in-house designers who will subsequently visit them in their home,” Greenbaum-Gross said.

“We are also a valued resource for outside designers, offering them an unrivalled selection all under one roof, as well as custom pieces that cannot be found elsewhere.”

For Greenbaum-Gross, it’s a service that helps homeowners sift through the abundance of design options that currently exist.

“I would say that in the past ten years I’ve seen the most change in the industry, probably because of the Internet,” she added. “Clients are presented with so many design options now, and frankly, I think people are confused by it all. Currently, we’re starting to see a transition into more traditional again. White, clean and pristine was in for a while and now we’re layering on top of that with more traditional and curvy pieces—but that’s what happens throughout time; we go from curvy to straight to curvy again. With a designer’s help, clients can easily update their homes to adapt.”

And at the end of the day, it’s good taste, quality, and style that defines Greenbaum’s look and defy market vicissitudes.

“We had a client stop by last Saturday to tell us that we decorated their home 55 years ago,” Greenbaum-Gross said. “They’ve since put fresh fabrics on the frames, but still have all of our pieces, which is such a wonderful compliment. Our carpeting is custom, our window treatments unique, and our upholstery…there’s simply nothing like it left on the market. We do things the old fashioned way and I think that’s what makes our pieces and our designs stand the test of time.”

Greenbaum Interiors
101 Washington St., Paterson / 973.279.3000
584 Route 17 North, Ridgewood / 201.857.3600
1105 Mt. Kemble Ave., Route 202, Morristown / 973.425.5500
greenbauminteriors.com