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A new local retailer is hoping to cash in on mountain homeowners who want to furnish their homes with high-end gaming tables and rare furniture.<\/p>\n
Sam Christensen opened Ultimate Mountain Living at 858 Main Ave. on Nov. 7. He sells Brunswick and Olhausen pool tables along with off-beat furniture pieces.<\/p>\n
Most of his inventory is intended for luxury homes. Christensen hopes to serve the market of luxury ranches and mountain homes in Southwest Colorado.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pretty confident once it gets advertised enough, there\u2019s a lot of money to go around,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Christensen intends to deliver to a wide geographic area, from Farmington to Telluride, and Cortez to Pagosa Springs.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re paying several thousand dollars for a pool table, it\u2019s nice to have it delivered.<\/p>\n
Christensen, age 39, got into the business with a college job installing pool tables in the Denver area. After moving to Durango last year to take a job as a financial analyst at Mercy Regional Medical Center, Christensen realized no one in the area was selling high-end pool tables.<\/p>\n
He put in $40,000 of his own money and secured an $80,000 Small Business Administration loan from First Southwest Bank. He worked nights getting the store ready while still working at Mercy.<\/p>\n
Now he\u2019s concentrating on getting Ultimate Mountain Living up and running.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just something I\u2019ve always wanted to do \u2013 get out on my own,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He arranged to get Brunswick and Olhausen\u2019s territorial rights for the area. One ponderosa pine Olhausen table he carries costs $5,966, including delivery and installation.<\/p>\n
The rustic look is in, said Kelly DiGiacomo, an agent at Durango Mountain Realty.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trend here at the mountain is definitely Colorado rustic style,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Most mountain homes need to be furnished after purchase, especially for second-home buyers who suddenly have another residence to furnish, said John Wells, owner-broker of The Wells Group.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people buy a second home or vacation home, they\u2019re not buying it furnished,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sales of mountain homes rose during the third quarter to 24, up from 18 a year earlier. They sold for a median price of $504,950.<\/p>\n
Besides pool tables, Christensen also has foosball, table tennis and shuffleboard tables. He\u2019s also selling furniture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea was originally going to be pool tables,\u201d he said. \u201cI needed to diversify a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s brought in a line of wood patio chairs from Warehouse 2120, of Hickory, North Carolina. The chairs were built from Bail boat wood.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very artsy,\u201d he said. \u201cAll of the pieces are unique.\u201d<\/p>\n
When spring comes, Christensen plans to add several lines of high-end patio furniture, including OW Lee, Tommy Bahamas and Homecrest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very excited to bring to Durango and the region more options than what the big box stores offer,\u201d said Christensen.<\/p>\n
Christensen\u2019s location places him in the heart of downtown Durango. The approximately 2,700-square-foot storefront is owned by Julie Rea of Phoenix.<\/p>\n