For Michael Levenberg, owner of The Buffalo Collection furniture store in Scottsdale, creating a business line that is environmentally correct, beautiful and “made in America” is a dream come true. “My wife, Laura, and I are thrilled to say that we just celebrated our (business) second anniversary. It’s been a lot of hard work, but we’re growing! We’re finding that our heirloom- quality, custom pieces are finding their way not only throughout Arizona, but all over the country and even overseas!”
Levenberg wants everyone to know that the company originated in Colorado when the founder, Julie Littlefield, a retired botanist, bought a ranch with the intention of bringing back a native grass that needed the help of a herd of 300 bison. The grass came back, the herd thrived and she needed to find a way to thin the herd back to the original number of 300. At first she found that bison meat wasn’t really finding its way into everyday use and started an organic mail-order business. And she used the hides to create furniture for the
ranch. Everyone who visited wanted to know how they could buy the pieces – and that’s how she fell into creating handmade furniture of all kinds as a business. That was 15 years ago.
Buffalo (American bison) hide is thicker and more supple than cowhide and is therefore 40% stronger. “We are very exclusive. Our pieces use all reclaimed/ fallen-tree hardwoods, hand-tied eight-way springs and come with a 100-year guarantee,” says Levenberg. “We don’t make a thousand pieces of something. There’s one. More often than not, those that visit our store ask us to create something by telling what they love about the pieces they see on the floor. They are built to order. There are not only chairs, sofas, ottomans and other upholstered pieces available, we also have wood lamps and tables and other accessories as well,” says Levenberg.
The couple has high hopes for the growth of the business. Levenberg says they’ve been very successful in reaching out to community designers, architects and commercial property owners and have been able to help several restaurants and hotels give their places that special Buffalo Collection look. Levenberg says they also hope that once their business is well established, they will be able to take time away from the business to be more involved in community. “Our dream is … we will be truly able to find our place in the Jewish community that so wonderfully surrounds us,” says Levenberg.
Michael studied fine arts with an emphasis in art history at Arizona State University and worked in art galleries across the country. “This was a major influence and provided me with many design inspirations combined with my own creativity,” he explains. Laura worked with her aunt’s interior design business in Michigan and is responsible for creating the vignettes in their showroom. The couple is thrilled to be welcomed “home” to Arizona after a 25-year absence. “We love meeting interesting people and assisting them in designing the right pieces for their taste and their home, which is the way it should be,” says Levenberg. He adds that this means people don’t have to settle for what’s available – they can have exactly what they want.
