During the recession in the 2000s, Chaya Krinsky and her husband Bruce Krinsky decided it was time to get out of the real estate business. So, Krinsky says, her husband bought a defunct furniture company. “We focused on online retail, and it was a real struggle getting it going,” she says. Fast forward 10+ years and that company is now TOV Furniture, a furniture maker that prides itself on delivering furnishings that appeal to a customer demographic of 25- to 35-year-old women who love style, Krinsky, the company’s Co-founder, Creative Director and Lead Designer, says.
“There was a void in the industry for stylish, affordable furniture,” she notes. “I love furniture and I love interior design, and that’s how TOV began.”
TOV, which is a play on the Hebrew word for good, “tov,” also stands for Tone of Voice, as it relates to Krinsky’s company. That voice is something she takes seriously in her business, ensuring that her furniture designs, branding and focus speak to her core customers. Krinsky continues that the best term to describe TOV’s offerings is “modern trendy.”
“We take inspiration from everywhere, and we’ve navigated away from one definitive style,” she says. Fashion changes often, and as home furnishings can be a fashion-driven industry, Krinsky pays close attention to the trends and delivers on those.
While the company has found its footing and continues to move forward with new and innovative collections, at the start, TOV had its growing pains. “We bought our first container out of China as a major experiment,” Krinsky notes. “Containers are huge; we needed a place for it to go! We needed a 3PL and to find customers who wanted to try the product. Once we got the furniture here though, we knew we had potential.” When she started, TOV was focused on stylish, glam furniture, but she says that glam element has changed. “We saw that styles change more rapidly than ever,” she adds, and her goal at TOV has been to embrace those changes.
Growth Spurt
Since that first container, Krinsky has honed her aesthetic and now has offices in Miami, New York and North Carolina, as well as a mix of factories the company owns or partners with in Vietnam, India and China.
“I’m a furniture designer by hobby, and I love interior design as well,” she says. More challenging, she continues, is how to create affordable furniture. “I’m a big believer in trying different things to get to where you need to go,” she notes, and she’s come a long way since the start of her business. TOV’s assortment now includes furniture, accessories, lighting and rugs, as the company strives to be an affordable all-home solution. While keeping prices affordable, Krinsky adds, “We don’t ever compromise on quality.” That has paid off in the response from customers.
The Voice Collection
Most recently, TOV has launched The Voice Collection, a collaboration with six elite black interior designers. This collection features the creative furnishing designs of Erika Ward, Nile Johnson, Justin Q. Williams, Carmeon Hamilton, Nicole White and Don Ricardo Massenburg, and debuted at High Point Market this past spring. “There was a huge need in the industry for this collection,” Krinsky says. “We’ve gotten to work with these very talented designers. Their products are designed by them for their demographic, and they passionately put their heart and soul into each piece. It’s been very well received.” Krinsky continues that The Voice Collection has also helped her reach a new demographic, and she has plans to expand the program going forward. “We can’t wait to work with more talented designers,” she says.
For Krinsky, TOV Furniture has been more than just a vehicle to sell home furnishings. “We want to make fabulous furniture and stay on trend,” she acknowledges, but she adds that she also hopes TOV can help bring something unique to the home furnishings industry. While she’s constantly looking for new outlets for selling her furniture and getting her message across, Krinsky is proud of what TOV has accomplished in the decade she’s been in business. “This has been a very interesting business, and we’ve just grown,” she says. “We have a fan-girl situation going on. We’re approachable. We’re out there from beginning to end, and we love this industry. My dream was to create a cult company, and I think we’ve managed to do that!"
