One of A Find features unique furniture and accessories that aim to amp up the style quotient in any home
According to Craig Johnston, furniture and fashion are more intertwined than people may realize. “You want your tie, purse and shoes to give a statement,” he says. “But people’s homes so often don’t have a statement.”
That’s where Johnston comes in. As the owner of One of A Find in Novi, he offers rare, handcrafted furniture and accessories — everything from couches, tables and lighting to coasters and wine charms — designed to amp up the style quotient in any given house. “This store offers absolute uniqueness,” says Johnston, 58, of Milford. “Not just unusual, but absolutely unique.”
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| Photo by Arianna Endicott |
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| Photo by Arianna Endicott |
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| Photo by Arianna Endicott |
A 39-year veteran of the furniture business, Johnston opened One of A Find in 2014 to “experiment with trends and designs,” he says. “Furniture is, or should be, a fashion business. I believe that fashion has been underserved in the home-interior business for some time.” (Prior to opening his own store, Johnston spent decades importing furnishings from around the world and selling them to national chains like Bloomingdale’s.)
At One of A Find, Johnston has curated a collection of, well, one-of-a-kind pieces created by craftspeople all over the world. Many are exclusive to the store, which has a warm, welcoming vibe: A mock living-room set features sleek furniture and earthy details like a feathery faux-fur pillow and various plants in vases; paintings and photos from local artists line the walls; and a coffee and wine bar give off an inviting vibe. “More than anything I want [customers] to be relaxed and to allow their imagination to expand,” says Johnston. “That’ll allow them to look at what we have in a different way.”
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| Photo by Arianna Endicott |
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| Photo by Arianna Endicott |
Unlike big-box furniture stores, where offerings tend to be mass produced, no two things at One of A Find are identical. (But don’t be fooled by the store’s size — Johnston says he has the largest collection of rustic, contemporary furniture in the Midwest, with 1,200 to 1,400 items in his warehouse at any given time.) Even when craftspeople make multiple pieces intended to look the same, says Johnston, they differ due to the “combination of wood, metal, colors and unique carvings.”
Johnston scours the globe for interesting pieces crafted by local artisans, traveling about eight times a year to places like India, China, Argentina and Mexico. He selects inventory based on both function and panache: “It has to have what I think is the ‘wow’ factor,” he says. “I want to imagine that when someone sees it, they are thoroughly impressed.” He also likes to buy pieces that are as “organic and green as possible,” he adds. “We do use recycled and repurposed materials, or products that are made from them.” Johnston also sources his goods directly from vendors, which allows him to keep prices reasonable. “The furniture literally comes from there to here,” he says. “There is no distributor, no middleman.”
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| Photo by Arianna Endicott |
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| Photo by Arianna Endicott |
The combination of exclusive items (some of the vendors the store buys from “sell only to us,” Johnston says) and affordable prices has earned One of A Find a loyal fanbase. Diane Piro, a canine trainer, makes the drive from her home in White Lake to shop there. “I always come here first when I have redone a room or I’m ready to redecorate,” she says. “I’ve never walked out without something.”
Another perk: The store’s design staff makes house calls. “Once we see the space, it helps us to get to know the customers and their style and taste,” says One of A Find associate Kelly Ciaramitaro. Say a certain client is looking for a distressed-wood table; when such a piece comes in, the design team will call them to come in and take a look. That level of customer service, much like the products One of A Find offers, is rare. “We do our best to be opposite in almost every way from a traditional furniture store,” says Johnston. “I never get tired of hearing the accolades or appreciation of having such a unique product.”
One of A Find
26140 Ingersol Dr, Novi
(248) 347-0850
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