STF Home & Furniture. Trends come and go (looking at you, TikTok), but great style is forever. These are words to live by for Estefania and her team at STF Home & Furniture. From designing custom furniture pieces to stocking decor must-haves, she’s driven by the joy her clients get from seeing their space come together. Please enjoy our conversation.
How did STF Home & Furniture come to be?
My background is in interior design, and so I am passionate about furniture, home decor, and all things interior design. 15 years ago, I set a personal goal of owning a furniture store and it seemed like a very big dream. About two years ago, we launched the online store, and eventually we had a lot of our customers requesting a showroom for that physical shopping experience and that’s when we decided to open the showroom.
What was it about our neighbourhood that made you choose to set up the showroom here?
The first things that I noticed and fell in love with were all the colourful walls and murals. I’m originally from Mexico, and our life is full of colours. It’s something that I miss, and when I saw all the colours in Strathcona, as well as the friendly environment, it made me feel like I was home.
What’s the best part of running an interior design business and showroom?
The best part for me is to be a part of my clients’ lives. I get to know their spaces, their homes. I also get to see their smiles and feel their excitement when they receive a new piece of furniture, whether it’s a sofa or dining table. Just to be able to be a part of that moment for me, that’s the best part.
Having been in Strathcona for 3 months, what are your thoughts on the neighbourhood?
I like our neighbourhood a lot. The people around and the neighbours are very kind and friendly. I’ve loved meeting all the people who have come in to introduce themselves. I also like that we are around a lot of creatives. We feel so grateful to be here.
What’s your big dream for STF Home in the future?
I imagine STF Home having showrooms all across Canada. We have a huge client base on the other side of the country, specifically Toronto and Montreal, and we are focusing our planning on opening a showroom out there in the coming year. We’d also love to expand to Alberta as well and we’ll see what happens. What I do know is that we have the power to create something bigger and that’s the goal for us.
In your opinion, what pertinent issues is the interior design industry at large facing at the moment?
I think the cost of storage and shipping. It’s difficult to keep the inventory, because a lot of the time we’re dealing with large items. So we’d need a huge warehouse to store all the items in stock. It can also be expensive to make the shipments of these oversize items, because you’d typically need a pallet and secure packaging. It gets expensive. Another thing I’ve noticed is the constantly changing trends. Unlike in the past where design trends changed slowly over time, now because of social media, certain styles and items are in and out of trend very quickly. Some clients want everything, but we have to also explain that it’s a process that takes time. However we do carry some pieces that can be considered trendy.
What would you like to see from the Strathcona Business Improvement Association?
It would be amazing if we could create a collaborative event with other businesses in the neighbourhood. We are more than happy to host something like that here in the showroom. We’re imagining an event where business owners can network, refer each other and grow.