Dunn's Furniture & Interiors longtime owner to retire; new owner to change name

After 28 years of offering her brand of interior design to Acadiana, Dunn's Furniture & Interiors owner Judy Dunn will retire Tuesday and be "passing the baton" to designer Whitney Edge.

Dunn, a Houston native who moved to Acadiana nearly 30 years ago with her husband, Bob, opened up her own design studio in Lafayette. The business initially opened on Rue Louis XIV but moved three years ago to its current location at the Shops at Martial, 2207 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite G.

"This was the first time I ever opened a retail store, and even though I wasn't from here — and I couldn't pronounce Boudreaux or Thibodeaux, much less spell it — Acadiana embraced me and my talents with open arms, and I'm so appreciative of it," Dunn said. "We started out as a wholesaler for interior designers and I would be their accessorizer, but it's grown over the years into so much more." 

Her business premise includes replacing a client's room furniture and decor for three days to let them get accustomed to and live in the change before deciding whether or not they like it. Over the years, Dunn has brought on local designers who work out of the store with clients.

Although this model might be considered a luxury-based service, Dunn's survived multiple oil slumps in the local economy and many other hardships, including Dunn's stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis that metastasized in her liver.

Dunn took the fight to cancer, spending months away from her business getting treatment, and beat it with help from her family, friends, the designers back in the shop and her faith in God, returning to work in 2016. However, her own triumph was soon followed by tragedy as Bob was diagnosed with cancer shortly after and lost his battle at the age of 68 this past November.

"It's time for Miss Judy to retire, so I'm passing the baton on the 17th," Dunn said. "I've always believed that people work hard for their money and that we should make their place, no matter where they live, look and feel good. That's what Dunn's has always been about, and I'm sure Whitney will continue that, too."

Edge, who has worked with Dunn for over four years, will take over as owner and change the name to Luxe Interiors. A special retirement party and ribbon cutting will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's really exciting and a little nerve wracking," Edge said. "I have a lot to live up to, and everybody knows Judy and Dunn's. But I've learned a lot from her over the past four years that have given me a good head start. We're going to keep things the same for the most part. It's going to be the same quality people have come to expect from Dunn's."

Dunn said she believes Edge is "fantastic" and will do a wonderful job with the business and this will allow Dunn to go on to what she wants to do with the next leg of her journey through life. Dunn said she wants to remain active with a variety of charities she's active with and loves including the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, a bevy of children's charities and Prayer Blanket Ministry at First Baptist Church.

"The Good Lord gave me this talent and I know he has me around for something," Dunn said. "Acadiana has been so good to me when I was sick and when my husband passed, and I hope I'm clever enough to figure that out because I'm not going to retire and just sit in a rocking chair for the rest of my life. I'm sticking around."

The Search For Bob