After 52 years in the furniture industry, Richard Honquest has decided to retire and close his store in Barrington as well as another Honquest Furniture location in White Fish, Wisconsin. 

A $6 million retirement and store closing sale to clear the Honquest Furniture for Living showroom, 1455 S. Barrington Road, starts Friday, June 15.  For customers convenience, the store’s office and warehouse will remain open through the end of 2012.

"For everything there is a season:  a beginning and an end,’’ said Honquest, 77, paraphrasing a quote from Ecclesiastes in a letter announcing his retirement this week. "This letter goes out to you with many mixed feelings announcing the end of an era...within these past 52 years, I have seen many changes in consumer buying habits and personal tastes. Evolution is constant. I am happy to have served our customers over these many years, and thank all of you for your business support. However, evolution continues for me in the form of retirement.’’

Honquest and his wife, Rachel, the company’s president, are credited with the dedication, hard work and industry knowledge that created one of America’s finest home furnishings stores. The 60,000 square foot Barrington Road store is a leading Chicagoland source for quality furniture accessories, lamps, Oriental rugs, carpet, window treatments and mattresses.  

The store’s entire $6 million inventory of furniture, Oriental rugs and accessories is offered at the closing sale. It includes stock from distinguished manufacturers such as American Leather, Bradington Young, Marge Carson, Century, Hancock & Moore, Harden, Henkel Harris, Hickory Chair, Lillian August, Shifman Mattress, Thayer Coggin and others. More than 25 of these brands are made in America.

Concurrently the $1 million inventory of Honquest Furniture for Living in Whitefish Bay, WI. is also being sold.