Casa Decor originated in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1989. Since then, the store expanded to multiple locations including El Paso and two stores in New Braunfels. Its second store, located at 651 I-35 Business Loop, Ste. 840, opened in August 2021.
“We practically grew out of the first store here, and then we just decided to find a bigger store,” Casa Decor General Manager Robbert Van Gelderen said.
Van Gelderen explained that Casa Decor’s manufacturing location is based in El Paso and is where the store receives its custom-made furniture. He said the custom furniture is made from their own input and designs. The store works with carpenters who can achieve Casa Decor’s distinctive rustic look by overseeing the type of wood used, carving techniques and being environmentally friendly by reusing and repurposing old furniture.
“We have a carpentry shop that does the carving; we have a carpentry shop that just builds from mesquite,” Van Gelderen said. “Then we have several that kind of like use old building materials, so old doors and stuff like that. Everything gets brought into El Paso and then we just either pick it up ourselves with our trailers or we have 18-wheelers bringing it to us here in New Braunfels.”Van Gelderen describes the furniture items sold at the store as “handmade furniture with rustic touch.” Rustic being classic or normal pieces of furniture with rough touches to them, giving each item its own personal and unique charm. The store also provides a variety of furniture from Mexico.
“We have more refined furniture that kind of originates from, you know, the Spanish colonial and Mexican and even Texas styles of furniture that evolved over the last two centuries,” Van Gelderen said. “So it’s a mix; that’s why we call it either Texas Hill Country furniture or rustic furniture.”
Casa Decor
Locations: 1) 651 S. I-35 Business Loop, Ste. 840, New Braunfels • 830-837-5777 • 2) 1671 N. I-35, Ste. 102, New Braunfels • 830-837-5648 • www.casadecornewbraunfels.com
Hours: daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
