Erdos brings stylish, comfortable furniture and décor to Hoover

Written By Lauren Dowdle

Photos Contributed

A memorable piece of furniture tells a story. Maybe it’s a rocking chair that’s been passed down for generations or a new, modern table that is a true statement piece.

For John Erdos, his furniture is his story.

Before becoming CEO and chief creative director of Erdos At Home (formerly I.O. Metro), Erdos lived in Singapore for more than two decades. He worked with J.Crew and ran their buying office there. He moved out there with no furniture, so he found himself looking for pieces to add to his new home.

But the search wasn’t easy, and he couldn’t really find anything nearby he liked. So, he harnessed his entrepreneurial, creative spirit and started selling furniture in a 12,000-square-foot retail shop in Singapore.

“Furniture has been my passion for a long time,” Erdos explains. “My mother would refinish pieces she found at yard sales and odd places. I was always attracted to that.”

Five years into his new business, he started designing the furniture. It didn’t take long for 95 percent of what he sold to be something he made.

“For people to actually spend money on it and have them put it in their homes, that’s an amazing feeling,” he says.

Erdos says he wanted to move back to the United States about a year and a half ago, and that’s when he got connected to I.O. Metro through an old colleague of his.

“When investors hired me, they wanted me to freshen up the I.O. Metro look,” he says.

So, he developed a vision, and the concept for Erdos At Home was born. All of the I.O. Metro stores were converted to the new name and style by March of this — including the one in Hoover’s Patton Creek.

“Hoover is a metropolis and growing quite rapidly,” he says. “For someone in the home furniture business, that’s a good market to be in.

The 8,082-square-foot store offers furniture and home décor for living spaces, dining rooms, bedrooms, offices and other living spaces. They have pieces like tables, chairs, sofas, sectionals, mirrors, artwork, bedding, pillows, rugs, lighting and much more.

There are 12 Erdos at Home stores across the country, and Erdos, who lives in Dallas, Texas, visits them all regularly.

“We tend to be a bit more relaxed and don’t take ourselves too seriously — a dose of the unexpected,” Erdos says. “We don’t want our collections to be predictable.

“People’s tastes and trends change,” Erdos continues. “It’s important to bring in new stuff — which is what differentiates us from competitors.”

Beyond just being stylish, Erdos At Home also makes functionality a top priority.

“Comfort is very important to me,” he says. “If it’s not comfortable, it just doesn’t work.”

One popular collection in the Hoover store is Tribeca, which has an industrial, modern feel. “I was a bit surprised by that,” Erdos says. “I thought the more traditional look would do better.” For people who do want a take on traditional style, they can check out the Westport collection.

Another piece that’s been a top seller in Hoover is the Manhattan modular. “You can get lost in the sofa,” Erdos says. “You just sit down and want to fall asleep.”

Their coastal pieces in the Hampton collection have also done well, along with the 21 Club sofa, which is one of his favorite pieces. “It’s a blue leather sofa inspired by Chesterfield Designs,” Erdos says.

He conceives all of the store’s merchandising concepts, and he plans to design furniture they’ll sell in the store down the road, as well.

“I wouldn’t sell anything in the store I wouldn’t want in my own home,” Erdos says. “People invite us into the most private spaces with our furniture. They live with it everyday, and we want them to enjoy it.”

In addition to a large array of furniture and décor pieces, Erdos At Home also offers free design services.

“We know not everyone is good at putting furniture together, so someone will come over and give recommendations, based on what you want,” he says. “We’ll help you with whatever you want, whether you want to do one area or the whole room.”

So no matter if residents are just looking to get ideas or are ready to buy pieces, Erdos encourages them to come check out the store.

“We’re there for inspiration as much as we are for selling furniture,” Erdos says. “We’d love for them to come experience the collections we have.”

Erdos says they might open stores in new locations starting next year. But for right now, they are focused on making the new Erdos at Home stores successful.

“I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised when they visit us,” he says. “And that’s the feedback I get from people when they see our big collection. I’m proud of what we’ve put together and what we’ve done.”

Erdos at Home is located in Patton Creek near Bella’s and Firebirds. For more information, visit Erdosathome.com, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.