Taking a look at the changes in styles, expectations, and marketing across 20 years and hundreds of ads

Every week, when flipping through the Voice, your eye is caught by hundreds of beautiful, creative ads. Advertising is a vital part of any business, but when looking at the ads of long-time advertisers, you’ll see that their ads today are drastically different than the ones they placed when the Voice first started. Here, four long-time producers in the home industry share how their businesses have shifted over the years.

The stores we spoke to:

Aidy Reisman, House of Granite

Linen Loft

Katz Furniture

Eli Brailofsky, Dream Cabinets

What are some of the changes you’ve seen in the last 20 years?

Aidy Reisman: Styles have changed drastically. Today, no one looks at the old styles, but the look has undergone several different shifts. Twenty years ago, the popular style was printed speckled granite, then it switched over to quartz. At one point, colors were very in, then they went out. There was a short period of time when everyone liked the white glass, but then it went out because it wasn’t so practical. Then the style became very modern. Today, people are still looking for modern, but they’re moving toward a softer, more natural look.

Linen Loft: Twenty years ago, the bedspread look was just starting to go out of style—the whole idea of beautiful linen was pretty new. Then, a fancy linen was what we call the tapestry look—it’s very outdated today. It was also hot and uncomfortable. Every set of linen had to have a design, otherwise it was too plain.

Then, as the years passed, the clean look came into style, and clean, white hotel-style linen became extremely popular. But it wasn’t so practical, so it became somewhat less popular. However, we still sell many hotel-style linen presently. Gold and beige were the in colors back when we started the business until gray came in for a couple of years. But about five years ago, beige and taupe came back.

The styles phases in and out. Today, people want a design, but they want a clean design. Each fabric has also had its heyday, from cotton to suede and then back to cotton. Eventually velvet came in too; presently, it’s cotton sateen and velvet.

Katz Furniture: For years, the style was traditional. The designs were intricate and detailed. Slowly, the trend shifted and customers started asking for clean lines. What was considered classic and timeless went out of style. Modern was very big for a while—all the furniture was gray or dark brown bordering on black. Then, over the last few years, customers have been transitioning to a more rustic look. The modern look is considered cold, and people want a cozier look with a more rounded edge. More medium and rustic brown tones and light colors instead of gray and dark.

Eli Brailofsky: The size of houses and kitchens has expanded, and that’s led to a change in style. When I bought my house 27 years ago, my grandfather commented that we’ll need roller skates to get around the kitchen— a kitchen that’s smaller than the one in a typical duplex today. Now, many kitchens have three sinks and three ovens, and the ceilings are also much higher. In a smaller space, intricate details look better, but the larger space more common now necessarily leads to a more open, contemporary look. As homes got larger, the house styles became cleaner, and since the trend changed, people liked it. But in the last five or six years, many people have moved away from contemporary toward transition—a balance between a clean and cozy look. There’s more detail, softer edges, and warmer colors. Colors tend to go in and out of style, but people are definitely gravitating toward brown now. The nice thing about a transitional look is that while it might not look extremely up to date, it will never go completely out of style.

Have the expectations of the customers changed?

AR: Very much so! It used to be that people came in, looked at what we had, and bought from what was in stock. Today, with increased access to social media, everyone comes in with an image and usually a designer. It’s also interesting how many investors we get today. Granite never used to be standard in a builder’s grade home, but it is today.

LL: When we first started, we went to a store called Unique Linen in Williamsburg to get our linen at wholesale prices. They wouldn’t show us one area; they said it wasn’t for Lakewood. Why? Because those sets were all over $300! We insisted on trying one, but they were right; that set sat in our store for months. Today, the starting point for a set of linen for a master bedroom is $300. Even the second pillow used to be an upgrade; now it’s standard.

KF: Today, homes are bigger, and so are the basement apartments. Years ago, I wouldn’t dream of selling a bedroom set without an armoire or matching headboards. Today, since the closets are bigger, most couples don’t need it. Instead, the money is spent on nicer beds, a dresser, and nightstands. The headboards and boxes—relatively new standards—are what create the vibe of the room.

Also, years ago, every couple got a reclining leather couch—it’s the most practical for young families. Today, many girls have the mindset of being more fashionable, and they choose a fabric couch or a small sectional, very often with a custom color.

EB: Buying cabinets used to be a pretty simple thing. You came, you looked, you bought. Kitchen was about practicality. Our kitchen designers used to not only do the layout of the kitchen but the design. Today, most people come with their own interior designer, although our designers are still very capable.

Prices, timing, products—what have the shifts been like?

AR: Prices have gone up a lot—partly due to inflation and partly because people are taking more. It used to be that customers came in for a counter and paid $6,000–$7,000. Today, people can spend up to $100,000, but that’s because there are many more products. Today, people are using granite for fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, grills, floors, and stairs. That affects the timing too. A job used to average a week. Now, it takes much longer.

LL: Prices have definitely gone up—partly due to inflation, partly due to standards. However, we always make sure to have linen for all budgets. We also offer many more options now. We have a lot of down and alternative down blankets and pillows. Monogrammed pillows as gifts are also very big.

KF: A kallah package used to be set in stone. Everyone got the bedroom, reclining sofa, and a standard dinette set. But today, we offer a 10–20 percent discount on everything they choose instead. It’s still the same savings, but they aren’t locked into a package. This gives the kallahs more flexibility to design their home according to their taste.

EB: We actually changed our name from Dream Kitchens to Dream Cabinetry because we don’t sell the same variety of kitchen products anymore.  All the categories became much more niche with hundreds of different varieties. We have so many more different types of doors and colors—there’s a lot for us to focus on.  Also, years ago, we weren’t happy with the quality of imported cabinets—we felt they couldn’t withstand the needs of our customers. Today, however, there are several selections of stock kitchen lines that we feel comfortable selling for a kosher kitchen.

How has your marketing changed?

AR: We used to advertise promotions, but today that doesn’t talk to people. The truth is that as the needs change, our ads also change. Since today most people come in with an interior designer, our ads tend to target the designer more than the customer.

LL: I think our ads have gotten better over the years. One incredible tip I learned some years back is to talk about your products in the ads. People need to know what you have and at what price in order to want to buy. In some of our old ads, we just used nice sets of linen—not sets we actually had. We had customers calling and asking for those sets, but we didn’t even sell it!

KF: We used to create our own ads, but marketing has changed too drastically for that. Today, a marketing company is a must. It’s all about telling a story, creating a feeling that resonates with the person. Nothing is simple anymore! Even a sale ad needs to aligned with our marketing.

EB: The ads today match the styles of today. They’re cleaner and more minimalistic with contemporary fonts.

The digital world is fast and furious, but is it necessary? How have you felt the need to make changes?

AR: I believe that our community will always need a print medium, and we keep seeing success by using it. At the same time, we do have a website and maintain a presence on social media.

LL: We’ve found that advertising actual print ads does better. We’ve tried other things, but we keep coming back to our ads in The Voice. It’s the best way to reach our customers. However, during covid we started a website completely from scratch, and it’s been a huge hit. People look online before coming to the store and some even order online.

KF: We try to stay away from social media and use a mix of channels to reach our customers. We have our print ads obviously, but we also do email blasts, texts, and even billboards—especially when we’re having a sale.

Styles come and go, but some things never change. What are the constants you’ve found to still hold true?

AR: People will always need counters, although who knows? It’s possible they’ll move away from stone. Excellent customer service is just as important as it always was, probably more. And as much as our website is helpful and people use it, there will always be a demand for a physical store. People want to see the granite in person.

LL: When it comes to design, flowers are always popular. They come in different shapes and colors (like the big flower in the middle of the bed), but people always keep going back to flowers. There’s nothing like Hashem’s creations—they’re just so pretty.

Where do you see things going in the future?

LL: We’re bringing in a new style soon where the pillow is the focal point of the set. The pillow will have a flower, and the bed will have a coordinating design. I think it’s going to be very big. We’re also putting a stress on free delivery. Lakewood is so big and there’s so much traffic. It’s hard for people to travel out of their own dalet amos. Same-day delivery so people can order online without even coming to the store should help.

KF: I think that people will redecorate more often. The mentality of buying a forever piece of furniture is fading, and I think that will continue. People would rather not feel like they have to be stuck with something forever.

House of Granite:

Remember when counters could be any color of the rainbow?

In this ad from 2009, fireplaces were a brand-new concept.

Today, there’s a clean look while still hinting to nature.

Linen Loft:

Linen Loft sep 13.pdf

Our designer suggested this set because pink looks nice in ads, but we didn’t even have it! The ads were longer, and there were lots of pillows on the beds.

linen loft 052313.pdf

This was the tapestry look, which we later found out was actually a shower curtain made into linen.

Notice the round pillow—an absolute must then.

Linen Loft 110118.pdf

This was the beginning of the hotel-style, modern era.

2024: Today, our prices are on the ad, and the pillows we sell are a big attraction.

Katz Furniture:

Full Page Color-Katz 043010.pdf

Plenty of detail in the furniture, with prices straight on the ad.

katz furniture 123110.pdf

The armoire was part of every set, and there were no boxes.

Katz Furniture 053118.pdf

The modern gray-toned days. Take a look at the legs; they were short-lived.

katz furniture jan_1.pdf

Telling that story.

Dream Cabinetry:

Dream Kitchen

Our designers were a big selling point.

Take a look at the intricate detail—a sign of the times—and, of course, our old name.

Dream Cabinetry

Modern in its heyday

Dream Cabinetry

This has the little touches that set it apart but still has a sleek look.