UPPER SANDUSKY – A family business just south of town is “simply” showcasing its recently renovated showroom.
Simply Flooring & Fireplace, 115 E. Fairview Street, now boasts a 2,500-square-foot showroom brimming with flooring and heating options for every style and budget as well as a 1,000-square-foot display of outdoor furniture – just in time for summer.
“Our showroom will give you the shopping experience of a big-city atmosphere but with a small-town appeal,” said Rachel Leightey, who owns and operates the sprawling stove shop and flooring store with her husband, Adam Leightey.
The business, she said, is an authorized dealer for a variety of stoves and fireplaces, with more than 40 units on display. Natural gas, wood burning, electric, and anthracite coal from names like DS Stoves, Hearthstone, and Fireplace Xtrordinair.
Simply Flooring & Fireplace, Leightey said, is also a one-stop shop for flooring needs, both residential and commercial. In addition to carpet, the store carries a wide assortment of laminates, engineered wood, and ceramic tile flooring in a variety of colors and sizes.
Luxury vinyl tile, however, is becoming one of the biggest flooring trends, Leightey said, because it resembles natural materials but has an extra layer to improve wear and performance. “Luxury vinyl planks are definitely a hot thing right now for any type of room.”
The patio area outside the entrance is chock-full of “poly” resin furniture that’s durable, waterproof, and maintenance-free, Leightey said. Tables, gliders, swings, rockers, and Adirondack chairs make perfect additions to backyard porches and decks, she said.
The Leighteys are no strangers to the fireplace business. In 2012 they purchased the inventory of another local shop and launched Leightey Stove Works out of their Upper Sandusky home. “We started out in our garage and worked our way here,” Rachel Leightey said.
In 2017, the couple expanded into flooring sales and installation after purchasing Simply Flooring at the same Fairview Street location. They spent months learning the business first-hand from its owners, Rachel Leightey said, before they retired later that year.
Leightey said the store is busy now with end-of-the-season service on fireplaces and inserts as well as chimney sweeping – important in the removal of soot and creosote. A 10,000-square-foot warehouse is also on the property, which is situated less than a mile from downtown.
Adam Leightey, a native of Upper Sandusky, also brings a background in home construction to the operation. Regular customers also know it’s not unusual for the Leighteys’ five-year-old Goldendoodle, “Sophie,” to act as the official “door greeter.”
“We are proud to be a family-owned business that takes pride in competitive pricing with top-notch installers as well as a knowledgeable sales team who has extensive knowledge in construction and design,” Rachel Leightey said.
Simply Flooring & Fireplace is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The retail store is closed Sunday and Monday.