Photo by Kelly Sullivan/Peninsula Clarion Dee Cassel points out the different options customers have with the custom made Amish Furniture, which is made entirely without electricity, Wednesday, June 11, at Home Gallery in Kenai.

Photo by Kelly Sullivan/Peninsula Clarion Dee Cassel points out the different options customers have with the custom made Amish Furniture, which is made entirely without electricity, Wednesday, June 11, at Home Gallery in Kenai.

New furniture store right at home in Kenai

  • By Kelly Sullivan
  • Wednesday, June 11, 2014 9:27pm
  • News

In the middle of the cavernous entrance room of the new Home Gallery furniture store, Dee Cassel stood with her fingertips on a massive dining room table crafted from reclaimed wood.

“It would take six people to lift,” she said. “Once it’s put down it’s set.”

The table was built from heavy brown barn wood, complete with polished, old nail holes. It will last its next owner for generations and any wear and tear will blend right in, she said.

Her husband, Lee Cassel, owner of Home Gallery, which also does flooring, previously ran the 46-year-old Decor Industries Inc., which he closed down three years ago. He sat at his desk Wednesday near the east-facing wall, immediately accessible to anyone wandering through the store.

Walking the perimeter of the 20,000-square-foot business, Dee Cassel paused beside couches, tables and bureaus ranging from modern to Amish styles, to discuss their origins.

Each furnishing is handpicked by the Cassels and motivated by customer opinions, Dee Cassel said. No matter what piece people walk out of the store with, it will be one-of-a-kind on the Kenai Peninsula, she said.

The Cassels opened their new store in downtown Kenai this May.

They knew they were filling a need for the community, Dee Cassel said. Home Gallery is the only dedicated home furnishing store in Kenai.

After taking a brief hiatus from the furniture business, it only made sense for the couple to go right back into selling pieces for the home, Dee Cassel said.

“Lee has quite a reputation here,” she said.

Service is their priority. As soon as a customer walks in, someone assists them, Dee Cassel said.

Lee Cassel said the home furnishing business offers the opportunity to develop relationships with his customers.

Since opening, locals have come Home Gallery recalling previous items Lee Cassel sold them, Dee Cassel said. In turn, Lee can often recall the day he sold it to them.

“He has an impeccable memory,” Dee Cassel said. “Oh, sorry, I am making him blush,” she said laughing.

The Cassels will hold a grand opening celebration beginning 3 p.m. at on Friday.

Kelly Sullivan can be reached at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Erin Thompson (courtesy)
Erin Thompson to serve as regional editor for Alaska community publications

Erin Thompson is expanding her leadership as she takes on editorial oversight… Continue reading

A woman stands with her sign held up during a rally in support of Medicaid and South Peninsula Hospital on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer residents rally in support of South Peninsula Hospital and Medicaid

The community gathered on Wednesday in opposition to health care cuts that threaten rural hospitals.

Hunter Kirby holds up the hatchery king salmon he bagged during the one-day youth fishery on the Ninilchik River on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 in Ninilchik, Alaska. Photo by Mike Booz
Ninilchik River closed to sport fishing

The closure is in effect from June 23 through July 15.

Señor Panchos in Soldotna, Alaska, is closed on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna restaurant owner remains in ICE custody; federal charges dropped

Francisco Rodriguez-Rincon was accused of being in the country illegally and falsely claiming citizenship on a driver’s license application.

Brent Johnson speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough to provide maximum funding for school district

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will receive less money from the state this year than it did last year.

Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion
Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School on Tuesday.
Pools, theaters, libraries in jeopardy as cuts loom

The district issued “notices of non-retention” to all its pool managers, library aides and theater technicians.

A sockeye salmon is pictured in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Fishing slow on Russian River, improving on Kenai

Northern Kenai fishing report for Tuesday, June 17.

Josiah Kelly, right, appears for a superior court arraignment at the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchor Point man accepts plea deal for November shootings

Buildings operated by a local health clinic and an addiction recovery nonprofit were targeted.

Most Read