Porto to Open New Location in Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC, May 02, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Porto, a fine home furnishings and accessories store in Raleigh’s North Hills, will open its second location in mid-May in Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Shopping Center between East Franklin Street and US 15-501.

Porto has built a reputation in Raleigh for featuring high-end, handcrafted furnishings designed and manufactured by companies that exercise and promote sustainable forestry and sourcing practices, such as South Cone, a world leader in sustainable furniture. South Cone furniture has been a staple in the Raleigh store since it opened over two years ago.

“The Chapel Hill store will feature our greenest selection ever,” noted Michael Perry, who co-owns Porto with Emily Barrett and Clark Hipolito.

The partners perceived a lack of choice for high quality, sustainable furniture in the Chapel Hill market, they said.

“This is also a booming and largely untapped market,” Perry said. “Yet it’s a market that’s extremely open to the concept of protecting the world’s resources and reducing its own environmental footprint by caring about where furniture comes from and whether or not responsible forestry practices came into play.”

Porto in Chapel Hill will also feature a “learning space” in partnership with South Cone, Perry said, where customers and interior design clients can learn more about environmentally responsible furniture.

The partners designed the 5000-square-foot showroom in Chapel Hill to evoke a more “urban loft” look than the Raleigh showroom, where artist Clark Hipolito’s murals and faux finishes lend the space an old-world ambience. The new showroom will include 9’x9’ removable panels whose appearance will change with the seasons.

The partners are planning to open May 12 if there are no unforeseen delays. Business hours will be similar to the current hours. (visit www.portohome.com)

For more information on either store, call 919-341-2763.

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