(Photo: Brad Paris)

You don’t look like someone who sells midwestern recliners for a living.
But I am such a couch potato. I was on the sofa from 11 A.M. to 11:30 P.M. on Sunday watching football. I didn’t move.

Your style—that Lincoln beard, especially—helps destigmatize the purchase.
Yes, it makes me more popular. Now La-Z-Boy is like Cadillac introducing the Escalade because no one wants to be driving around in something that doesn’t look good.

So who are your customers?
Boys from Chelsea all the way to the lawyer who doesn’t want to spend $10,000 on a sofa for his Hamptons beach house but will spend $1,500. You can furnish your living room for $1,999. It’s not that the guys interested in this don’t have the money—they’d just rather spend it on drinks, like I do.

Do you sell to women?
Recliners are so good for pregnant women. The Judy model’s shallower, and there are no right angles. Men love the Arc—the high back gives neck support. The six-three, 240-pound guys love the Casey.

Best pullout couch?
The Nelson sleeper sofa. It’s a combination of your traditional spring mattress with foam, but on top of that you have an Aero bed with a pump so you can adjust the firmness.

What’s your best decorating advice?
Ask yourself, what is the masterpiece in the room? The rug? The sofa? The art?

What’s the masterpiece in your apartment?
Me. I am my best decoration.

Related:

• Archive: “Ask Shop Clerk”
• Articles by Denise Penny
• Table of Contents: Oct 16, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!