Comfort Furniture (Demolished)
Orlando, FL
Photo courtesy Henry B. Stowe

The Comfort Furniture building was hard to miss along Orlando’s East Colonial Drive. Sharp angles and a dramatic geometric roofline made it look more like a Space Age pavilion than somewhere to shop for a sofa. When this photograph was submitted, word was that the new owner planned to demolish the building within weeks. 12-06

Originally built in the early 1960s as a Modernage Furniture store, the property later carried other furniture-store identities, including Kane’s and Comfort Furniture. For many locals, the Kane’s name remained associated with the building even after the business changed. The architecture supplied a consistent landmark through those changes in ownership and lettering.

Comfort Furniture (Demolished)
Orlando, FL
Photo courtesy Henry B. Stowe

What made this place worth noticing was how thoroughly the building served as its own advertisement. The roofline gave a large retail showroom something distinctive to offer the street, drawing attention without a giant animated sign. It reflected the mid-century enthusiasm for making everyday commercial buildings look modern, adventurous, and unlike the competition down the road.

Comfort Furniture (Demolished)
Orlando, FL
Photo courtesy Henry B. Stowe

UPDATE: The Comfort Furniture is gone. It is now a bank and a Panda Takeout. Before it was destroyed, it was for a time the Kane Furniture store, and that was what locals generally called it. Many thanks to Al Pergande for update. 03-09

UPDATE: The former furniture showroom was demolished in 2006. By March 2009, a bank and a Panda restaurant were reported on the redeveloped property. The angular landmark is gone, leaving photographs to preserve a time when shopping for furniture along Highway 50 came with a little architectural excitement. 07-26