About Us
The Original Babette’s Country Shoppe Opens
1988
Gary and Babette Ward officially opened Babette’s as a gift shop in October 1988. The first location was a double-wide mobile home located across from the Lake Square Mall on US Hwy 441 in Leesburg, FL.
Babette's Furniture & Country Shoppe
1989
In 1989, Gary and Babette decided to expand the business to include furniture. They changed the name to Babette’s Furniture & Country Shoppe and purchased the first building located next door to the Red Lobster on US Hwy 441 in Leesburg, FL. This increased the space significantly to 2,500 sq. feet, but it didn’t take long before an additional 5,000 square feet was added. During this time, Gary and Babette conducted some “home shows” and occupied six various store locations within the Lake Square Mall until 2001.
Babette's Furniture Warehouse
1991
Tavares was home to one of Babette's Warehouse locations.
1995
Quickly Gaining Popularity
Babette's Furniture and Country Shoppe gets a makeover and additional space.
1995
Quickly Gaining Popularity
Babette's Furniture and Country Shoppe gets a makeover and additional space.
Babette's Builds Current Location
2001
In 2001, the store moved to our current location. The first building was 30,000 sq. ft. and opened with a new name Babette’s Furniture & Home Shoppe. We quickly outgrew our new roomy location and added another 25,000 sq. ft. In March 2004, we officially opened our expanded area and now enjoy a comfortable 55,000 sq. ft. showroom that boasts countless examples of every imaginable furniture collection and styling, from classic to contemporary.
Continued Growth Brings Expansion
2004
Starting to look familiar? The 2004 expansion added more showroom space to feature the latest in home furnishings and home décor. The no-pressure sales philosophy combined with quality furniture, great service, fair prices, and visionary leadership—is why Babette’s remains a leader in the furniture industry.
Continued Growth Brings Expansion
2005
Babette's Warehouse Opens
2006
In October 2006, we completed our most recent endeavor with the opening of our 54,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art distribution center(also known as the warehouse). The warehouse includes six delivery/receiving bays, daylight equivalent inspection stations, and a high-tech fire protection system. Our modern office area is fully staffed to support receiving, inventory control, scheduling deliveries, and customer service.
Lifestyle Furniture by Babette's is opened
2015
In 2015, the Wards opened Lifestyle Furniture by Babette’s, a 23,000-square foot facility located adjacent to its flagship store. The addition of Lifestyle Furniture allowed for space for even more quality furniture lines, focusing on fashion-forward styles, family-friendly prices, and quick delivery while offering the same outstanding customer service that Babette’s had become known for.
Shopping at Babette’s Furniture
Quality Brands. Friendly Faces. No Pressure.
At Babette’s Furniture Store, we have more than 38 years of experience in making furniture shopping and room design stress-free and simple. Our long-standing relationship with well-known brands aids in our ability to offer quality products and seamless customer service that we can be proud of.
Our sales team works attentively with our customers to find the perfect solution for their exact needs. We embrace customer feedback, learn from our experiences, and continue to offer the best customer experience from the first step into our showroom to long after delivery.
Our sales associates are friendly and talented. Stop by for a visit and let us show you around!
Our Story
It all began with a philosophy: Furniture shopping can and should be easy and enjoyable.
With years of industry experience and huge hearts, founders Gary and Babette Ward set out to create something special. A place where employees are proud of what they do, and customers fall in love with their home all over again. The formula was simple: a beautiful furniture store full of quality products with a focus on customer satisfaction and a relaxed experience where time is taken to find just the right fit. And with that, Babette’s Furniture & Home was established.
The Original Country Shoppe Opens
Expansion into Furniture
First Dedicated Warehouse
Store Makeover & Growth
Current Flagship Built
55,000 Sq. Ft. Showroom
Distribution Center Opens
Lifestyle Furniture Launches
The Villages Location Opens
Family-Owned & Next Gen
Three Central Florida Showrooms
One Vision. Endless Possibilities.
Babette's Leesburg Flagship
Our original 55,000 sq. ft. showroom located across from the Leesburg Airport.
8345 US Hwy 441
Leesburg, FL 34788
Babette's The Villages
Our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom located in Brownwood Paddock Square.
3691 Meggison Rd.
The Villages, FL 32163
Lifestyle Furniture by Babette's
Our 22,000 sq. ft. family-friendly showroom next door to our flagship.
8425 US Hwy 441 Suite 101
Leesburg, FL 34788
The Original Country Shoppe Opens
Gary and Babette Ward officially opened Babette’s as a gift shop in October 1988. The first location was a double-wide mobile home located across from the Lake Square Mall on US Hwy 441 in Leesburg, FL.
Expansion into Furniture
In 1989, Gary and Babette expanded to include furniture, purchasing a 2,500 sq. ft. building next to Red Lobster in Leesburg. It quickly grew by an additional 5,000 sq. ft. During this time, Babette's also hosted home shows and occupied six store locations within Lake Square Mall through 2001.
First Dedicated Warehouse
Tavares became home to one of Babette's earliest dedicated warehouse facilities to support growing customer orders across Central Florida.
Store Makeover & Growth
Babette's Furniture and Country Shoppe received a comprehensive exterior and interior makeover with expanded floor space for home accents.
Current Flagship Built
In 2001, the store moved to our current Leesburg flagship site as a 30,000 sq. ft. showroom under the name Babette’s Furniture & Home Shoppe. We quickly added another 25,000 sq. ft. in 2004 to create our 55,000 sq. ft. showroom.
55,000 Sq. Ft. Showroom Completed
The completed 2004 expansion added expansive showroom space to showcase full furniture collections. Our no-pressure sales philosophy combined with quality furniture and fair pricing established Babette’s as a Central Florida staple.
Distribution Center Opens
In October 2006, we opened our 54,000 sq. ft. distribution facility featuring six loading bays and daylight-equivalent inspection stations. The warehouse is also home to our monthly "Warehouse Clearance Sale".
Lifestyle Furniture Launches
In 2015, the Wards opened Lifestyle Furniture by Babette’s—a 22,000 sq. ft. showroom adjacent to the Leesburg flagship. Lifestyle focuses on fashion-forward, family-friendly styles at budget-conscious price points.
The Villages Showroom Opens in Brownwood
In October 2018, Babette's opened in Brownwood Paddock Square in The Villages. Featuring 12,000 sq. ft. of design inspiration and a full custom fabric gallery, it brings curated home collections right to The Villages community.
Family-Owned & Next Gen Leadership
Over 38 years later, Babette’s remains proudly family-owned with founder's son Brian Ward serving as CEO. Our team of over 120 employees operates across sales, design, logistics, customer service, and distribution.