Family, Furniture and Feel-Good Interior Design
With Jen, Clive & Issy Burnup from Burnups Furniture Court
Furniture carries countless memories, from family dinners around the table to cosy movie nights on the sofa. Similarly, Burnups Furniture Court is steeped in its own rich history, that dates back to 1950.
First opening as a ‘hole in the wall’ shop on Bowen’s George Street, the business developed into a larger showroom on 42 Powell Street where the late John Burnup, his wife Lillian and the rest of the Burnup family resided above the shop. Starting with four pillows for stock and purchasing furniture on consignment from Townsville, Burnups was established on a small budget which was infused with passion for design and quality right from the start.
Clive Burnup joined the family business in 1970 at just 21 years of age. Prior to this, he had a brief stint at the Commonwealth Bank and was well-known for performing on-stage as a member of various rock and roll bands.
Clive and Jenni Burnup have recently welcomed their daughter Issy into the business and are thrilled to continue the family-run legacy of this much-loved local furniture store. The family are proud of the business’ growth; they built the existing Cannonvale shop in the middle of a cane paddock which later turned out to be the Whitsunday Shopping Plaza.
“Family businesses bring soul to their operations,” Clive explained.
“When the family sit down for dinner, conversations to do with business continue, it's not like bigger companies which are run by a faraway board of directors and managers, it's a lot more localized and personal.”
Issy also highlighted that running a family business often involves a wider variety of tasks and responsibilities: “From admin to design to unloading a truck, you've got to have a pretty diverse skill set.”
At Burnups everything, including management, is based in the Whitsundays. This is a huge advantage as there is no one-size-fits-all for furniture, and you can be sure to get top quality advice that understands our unique environment. From the climate to the mix of country and coastal styling, Burnups offer furniture solutions that are in-tune with the region.
“In terms of practicality, it is knowing that certain things are just not suitable to the heat of the tropics or lifestyle here,” Issy added.
Your furniture is in excellent hands with Issy, Clive, Jen and their team. They personally source pieces from exotic locations in South East Asia and Italy, while also frequently visiting Sydney and Brisbane for Australian made products.
“We understand the need to carry stock so there are no long wait times for orders. Unlike companies that display furniture you won't receive for 14 weeks; we ensure most products are available immediately” Clive added.
By sourcing products directly, Burnups ensures top-quality standards. They personally inspect factories domestically and internationally, both for their own two stores and for the Furniture Court Buying Group of which Clive is a long serving Board Director. The aim is to get the right style, comfort, and price. As a family business, they genuinely care about helping you get the best value for your money.
“One key difference in a family business is our genuine commitment to providing high-quality products. We invest considerable time in sourcing to ensure that our stock meets our standards” Issy emphasised.
Although Burnups primarily focuses on ready-to-purchase items, if there's something specific, you’re looking for, they can certainly source it for you.
“Including the Beds R Us shop, we have 2,000 square meters of retail floor space in Cannonvale and a further 1,000 square metres in Bowen showcasing a diverse range of options,” Clive stated.
“That’s another massive transition for us, we have gone from one box of pillows to having five large warehouses” Issy added.
“There's a couple of lifetimes worth going in to build all that,” Clive continued.
The Burnup family continues to develop the business, with a full renovation of the Beds R Us shop completed in the last 18 months. They have also opened a Lazboy Gallery at the end of last year, making it the only Lazboy Gallery between Rockhampton and Townsville. During this time, they also opened an exclusive Zoletti Gallery. The Bowen Store also does Floorcoverings, along with Shutters and Blinds.
Over the past 20 years, Burnups has successfully expanded its commercial Burnups Design Division, a commercial interior decorator service, which operates in conjunction with Burnups Furniture Court. Many projects have been successfully designed and completed on Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach and Bowen. Burnups Design Division has been further developed by Issy who brought her interior design expertise and university qualifications.
The operation is a family affair, “All of the Burnup Family have worked in the business at some stage,” said Clive.
The team also sponsor various events within the community including, The Bowen Cup, Paul Bowman Football Carnival and Dingo Beach festival, and always aim to support other local community businesses. Burnups strive to provide the community furniture with exceptional design, quality and functionality.
https://furniturecourt.com.au/stores/cannonvale-burnups/
