It’s home, home on the strange

A bitter battle between two home furnishings chains has taken a turn for the weirder.

Crate and Barrel, during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, confirmed CEO Doug Diemoz had exited the company — roughly a month after he actually left the chain and 26 days after the company had first confirmed the move.

Diemoz, who joined Crate and Barrel from rival Restoration Hardware two years ago, was sued in January by the rival for breach of contract.

RH also sued Crate and Barrel for allegedly poaching Diemoz and a second executive and for stealing company secrets.

At the center of the legal beef is not sourcing of home furnishings or store layout — but the formation of a restaurant amid its stores.

RH is accusing Diemoz and the second executive, Kimberly Ahlheim, of copying the designs for the restaurant and sharing them with Crate and Barrel.

On May 4, privately held Crate and Barrel — without mentioning Diemoz — said a board member, Neela Montgomery, would become its chief execu- tive on Aug. 1. It wasn’t until May 29 that the company confirmed that Diemoz “has left the company to pursue his next challenge.”

The holiday weekend announcement included a statement from Diemoz thanking Crate and Barrel for its “commitment to our turnaround success.”

A Crate and Barrel spokeswoman said the RH lawsuit had nothing to do with Diemoz leaving the company, according to a report on May 4 in the Chicago Tribune.

The spokeswoman declined to comment further on the matter to The Post.