King's Hometown a family of home decor

Home improvement means more than just new sidings and shingles. The home's interior needs attention too and that's what King's Hometown in Ackley specializes in.

For decades now the Main Street business has served the community under one name or another but, since being purchased by Deb and Mike King in 1997, King's Hometown has been the go-to place for furniture and flooring.

Offering both flooring and a selection of furniture, King's Hometown can deliver a hardwood floor and a couch or recliner to put on it. Power recliners in particular have become increasingly popular in recent years and the Kings make sure to keep a selection suitable for customers of various heights and weights.

"We keep a variety of sizes in stock," said Korin Krukow, King's daughter.

In 2007, King Hometown really became a family business as the Kings partnered with Korner Window, their daughter's custom window treatment business.

Krukow studied interior design in college and worked at JCPenney before starting her own business providing a selection of drapes, shades, and blinds.

"I never really wanted to do anything else," said Krukow.

The family partnership is a natural fit, allowing customers to take care of their floors and windows in one stop. And though the two businesses are technically independent, their shared space and family ties leaves a lot of room for crossover, happy to help each other with their sides of the business.

Keeping up with the latest trends and styles can be a challenge, but it keeps things interesting as tastes in home décor change over time.

"When I started in '07 we were selling lots of carpets. Now we're selling more wood surface floors," said Krukow.

The farm house style is popular right now but the King family keeps an eye on the latest trends through trade magazines and shows in order to stay on top of things. Trade shows and auctions are another good way to keep apprised of what people are looking for.

The way they get the word out about their business has changed as well over the years. Servicing a wide area, the internet has proven invaluable in letting area homeowners know about the little Main Street shop. Both King's Hometown and Korner Window have their own websites and social media pages to showcase their selections and keep in touch with customers.

"We can't be in just Ackley," said Krukow.

Right now the businesses are making plans for holiday open houses, which not only give people with busy jobs a chance to step in after-hours and see their selection, but also serves as a chance to build relationships in the small community.

"It's nice being in a small town," said Krukow.