Jul 13, 2022 4 min read

For over 90 years, CJ’s Furniture has been furnishing the homes of its customer base from the same location at 142 W. Main Street in Monongahela.

For the past 30 years, Claudia J. Williams has been the sole proprietor. Even before that, Williams’ aunt, Helen Filippelli, owned the store and even worked there as a teenager.

Last August, however, Williams’ long tenure as the owner ended when she sold the store to Jaimie and Joe Amati.

“I always had an interest in decorating and bought all my furniture at CJ’s,” Jaimie said. “So did my family. I knew Claudia was planning to retire, so I asked her if I could buy the store. A week after she said yes, I found out it would have been too late to ask then because another buyer had become interested in buying the store.”

The attractive building has four storefronts along Main Street. CJ’s is on the ground floor, and customers can enter the store through two of the storefronts. The upper floors are reserved for tenants who rent the apartments.

Since taking over ownership, the Amatis have retained Williams’ vendors. Still, they are planning to expand the inventory with pieces with a more modern look while keeping the traditional style Williams featured during her management.

“We hope to draw a younger clientele with splashes of modernity while maintaining the customer base and its traditional style that has been so successful over the past 30 years,” Jaimie said.

To get the word out about the new owners’ plans for the store, the Amatis rely on word of mouth and social media platforms like Facebook. They’ve also developed a website, cjsfurniture.com, that is still a work in progress.

“I try to post photos of what we deliver to our customers on Facebook almost every week,” Jaimie said.

Because the storefront has excellent visibility along heavily-trafficked Main Street, the Amatis change the window displays frequently. The practice aligns with the store motto, “Stop in … Take a look … You don’t know what you’ll find.”

Working with Williams and her vendors, the Amatis have created an extensive inventory of hundreds of coffee and end tables, lamps, mirrors and pictures. Jaimie said the store’s sofas, chairs, recliners, coffee tables and Tiffany lamps have been the most popular items bought at the store.

The store also offers customized sofas, chairs and recliners, all of which are made in the USA. Vendors do the customized work in North Carolina and Ohio. When a finished item is delivered to the store, Jaimie looks it over to ensure it meets specifications. Then the item is delivered to the customer in the store’s box truck.

“I’ll go out to a customer’s home for a no-fee, personal consultation to help them decide on things like fabric, size and color,” Jaimie said.

The store has already delivered to customers located north of Pittsburgh and will deliver up to a 100-mile radius of Monongahela, depending on what is purchased.

Jaimie said she has a background in customer service, working as a tax preparer for the past 18 years. Joe is self-employed as a home inspector and now also serves as the store’s furniture delivery agent.

“I think the personal attention we offer our customers gives us a leg up on the big box furniture stores,” Jaimie said. “We go the extra mile and offer our customers a lot more options. If you buy something here, you can count on the fact that your neighbor won’t have the same piece of furniture. Our quality also surpasses that of most of our competitors.”

CJ’s is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on Sunday. Open Monday and evenings by appointment only. For more information, call 724-258-5905.