Bateman House Furniture began as a family business in 1989. Twenty years later, managed by the father/daughter team of Ross and Shelley Bateman, it still thrives as a local leader in the furniture industry, providing quality wood furnishings at reasonable prices.

Through-out the years market trends have greatly influenced the home furnishings and decorative pieces offered at Bateman House. The Tweed-based business has evolved from its craft show start to manufacturing its own characteristic line to where it stands today - a consumers link to high quality imports. 

Bateman’s labels its furniture as "more urban country; timeless, classic", a sophisticated take on rural design.

Today's markets demand staying on top of current trends and watching those trends is where Shelley has found her niche. Current trends have moved towards economical, visually appealing, long-lasting pieces and Bateman is doing her job to ensure her customers have access. Online and throughout the Bateman House retail stores in Ottawa, Westport, Port Carling and Tweed customers can choose from an extensive line of quality furnishings at great price points, an affordability garnered from the importing and storage of sizable quantities of furniture and decorative pieces.

The log style decor of Big Tree and the eco-friendly furnishings of Renar are the two top companies Bateman House imports from, bringing in container loads of bedroom groupings, dining room sets, reproduction cabinets, futons, indoor/outdoor resin, book shelves, side servers, bar stools, television stands and compact disc consoles for storage at the Bateman's James Street warehouse in Tweed.

"The furniture comes from all over the world" explains Bateman, citing Malaysia, Brazil, China and the United States as her top four import regions. Accent pieces such as pictures, lighting, bedding, mirrors, and mattresses complete the selection. Additionally, Bateman House offers custom made, four season slipcovers, another trend towards economical awareness that consumers can appreciate.

With over 1,000 fabric choices, from floral to classic and leather to cotton, customers can replace worn or stained single sofa arms, backs or cushions at a fraction of the price of complete couch replacement. Likewise, changing slipcovers with each season can transform the look and feel of rooms at huge cost savings. Bateman says some customers have found that after 20 years with a Bateman House sofa, the durable frame is in such great condition that new cushions and fabric is all that is needed to create a new piece.

Due to the import trend, Bateman House is veering away from its initial manufacturing operation. While the company will still produce its signature Canadian Lodge Pole Pine bunk beds, trundle beds and dressers for volume commercial contracts with long-standing customer Wilderness Tours and, more recently Tim Horton's Memorial Camps, Canadian manufacturing, Bateman says, cannot compete with import markets. And, while "buying in volume is the key to success in this business" Bateman will not compromise either quality or the environment when it comes to replenishing stock. This dedication led Bateman to Renar, a Brazilian, family based business since 1919 and equally as committed to sustainability. Renar began planting Canadian pine tree forests in 1967 to process its own lumbar for the manufacturing of its furniture line. Their 5,000 acres of Brazilian forests promote "production in harmony with nature" and are Renar's first step from forest to sawmill to factory to design within its production of solid wood furniture.

The high quality of all of Bateman House products has ensured Ross and Shelley's success over the past twenty years. Their continued pledge to offer customers that same standard of quality while keeping with the times will ensure that success remains.