Berkshire Slipcover Outlet to open in Great Barrington

12:00AM / Tuesday, April 20, 2004Print Story | Email Story

Gt. Barrington â€“ On Saturday, May 1st, the Berkshire Slipcover Outlet moves from Prime Outlets at Lee to Barrington Plaza in the space formerly occupied by the linen store, Open House. Coincidentally, the Berkshire Slipcover Outlet will also carry a variety of linens and home furnishings including slipcovers, decorative pillows, sheets, futon covers, chair pads and rugs. Owner, Liana Toscanini, says the new store is 2000 square feet and will feature more displays, more product lines, and increased staff. After making a profit in her first year of business, Toscanini is taking a calculated risk that moving to tourist mecca, Great Barrington, and doubling the size of the store will reap similar rewards within the next 12 months. â€œI love the concept of the â€˜community mall,â€™ says Toscanini, referring to Barrington Plaza, home of Kmart, Price Chopper and The Bookloft. â€œMy local and regional customers are thrilled weâ€™re moving to such a convenient place.â€ A showcase for Sure Fit brand slipcovers, the store carries a full line of discounted, readymade covers for chairs, loveseats, sofas, dining chairs, folding chairs and ottomans as well as hard-to-find catalog items including slipcovers for wingback furniture, recliners, and chair Â½â€™s. New this season are covers for sectional furniture. Toscanini also plans to introduce some custom work. â€œThere is a need for smaller chair covers,â€ says Toscanini, who is responding by partnering with designer and seamstress, Jane Hason, to make â€œsemi-customâ€ slipcovers for petite chairs. Customers will provide a few basic measurements and bring their seat cushion in to be custom-covered. This two-piece cover would look more like custom-made slipcovers but wouldnâ€™t be quite as fitted says Toscanini. The Berkshire Slipcover Outlet is unique in the U.S. and may serve as a prototype for a future franchise operation. Toscanini , a resident of Sandisfield, was a Vice President at Sure Fit, the countryâ€™s largest slipcover manufacturer, for ten years prior to starting her retail venture. The store is open 7 days a week. For more information, call (413) 528-9737 or visit www.berkshireslipcoveroutlet.com .

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

Save & Earn with Greylock

3.30% APY 6-month certificate. Click to learn more! Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

North Adams Officials to Revote School Committee Members

Staff reports06:31PM / Friday, October 09, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City and school officials will meet a second time to vote in two new members of the School Committee.

The joint convention of the City Council and School Committee will be held on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Hall conference room and via Zoom.

Damon Grimes and Paul Moriarty were jointly elected on Monday to fill two seats vacated by resignation. They were two of four candidates standing for election.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey, chair of the School Committee, said she had received in inquiry about the votes, which were done by secret ballot.

"I have been advised that voting by ballot was not permissible in this circumstance," she said, after consulting the School Committee's attorney Adam Dupere and city solicitor KP Law.

To ensure the validity of the votes and conduct of the election, the joint convention will reconvene and formally confirm the selection of Grimes and Moriarty.

"I apologize for the inconvenience of having to reconvene," the mayor said in a statement. "My intention in using a ballot was to address concerns raised following our previous convention, when some members expressed discomfort with publicly voting for or against individual candidates.

View Full Story