CLAYTON -- Ashley Furniture HomeStore has opened a 135,000-square-foot sales and distribution center on U.S. 70.

The showroom features a water effect, floor-to-ceiling fireplaces and walls with faux painting and textures. Furniture and accessories are displayed in a way that allows shoppers to coordinate their bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms.

“Our goal is to change the way people shop for furniture forever,” said Chuck Spang, president of Ashley HomeStores Ltd. “With the new look and feel in Clayton, we are well on our way to achieving that goal. From the moment you enter this beautifully decorated store, you will notice a difference.”

The 20,000-square-foot retail space has what Ashley calls an “extreme value center,” which showcases less-expensive bedroom sets in a compact setting. To make shopping easier for parents, Playstation III video games are available for children. In the future, a 10,000-square-foot space will become a clearance center with items that have been discontinued or returned by customers.

Customers can even buy insurance to keep their furniture in tip-top shape. “We have a really neat thing called Montage [Furniture Services],” said John Spach, marketing director for the Clayton store. “It is an accident-insurance plan. If you spill a glass of red wine on the couch, call these people, and they will immediately come. If they can’t fix it, they replace it.”

The distribution center, which occupies 100,000 square feet in the back of the building, serves the Clayton store and other Ashley outlets in the area. All but 16 of the 85 Clayton employees work in the distribution center.

“I remember when I walked in the front of the building, I thought it was fine,” said Spach, who has worked with the company for two years. “When I walked in [the distribution center] for the very first time, it was just amazing. It was totally vacant.”

Ashley Furniture HomeStores has 365 stores in the United States, including 27 in North Carolina.

So far, the Clayton store has gotten a favorable response from the community. “We think we have a viable opportunity to do really well here,” Spach said. “From day one, everybody has been very glad to see us.”

Ashley Furniture HomeStore is at 9257 U.S. 70 West. Showroom hours are 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon till 6 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call (919) 237-4848 or go to www.ashleyhomestores.com.