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Our mission is to make everyday home decor accessible and affordable to our clients. Here's our story why we embarked on this venture.
How did The SF begin?
Priscilla: I had recently moved to the UK from the US. I was complaining to Aushi about my own frustrations with furnishing my house because truthfully after the purchasing price, stamp duty, solicitor’s fees etc- let’s just say that there wasn’t as much left in my dream budget as I had hoped for. It just seemed bizarre to me that unless you were a designer with access to trade vendors, your access to affordable furniture (and not the same 5 retail companies mind you) was limited without the help of an interior designer.
Aushi: Here in the UK, much of the discount afforded to designers is safeguarded from clients largely due to the fact that it is part of our compensation. Priscilla and I had many, MANY, conversations on how we can loosen the reins and have more of a transparent relationship with our clients.
What is your background?
Priscilla: I graduated from Parsons and have spent years working with clients in high end residential homes all over the US. I particularly love styling and designing childrens‘ rooms. Pulling a space together without breaking the bank is what I really enjoy – the premise that you can have beautiful style but what makes it really special and complete really lies in all the details you can add.
Aushi: I have spent years in designing residential luxury developments. The majority of my career has been spent focusing on the design and interiors for turn-key properties. Without extensive budgets, you develop a knack for making spaces look a lot more luxurious than what you actually spent on it- value engineering and budgets are my speciality!
I think both our backgrounds of being high end versus cost conscious actually make us very unique and since we have started working together a few years back, we have really seen our particular skill sets as a team develop into something that is worthwhile for our clients.
Why would a client be inclined to choose SF over going to their favourite furniture retailer?
Priscilla: We are interested in designing homes where we know exactly who you are within the first few minutes. A home from a single retailer is not going to bring a sense of individuality and uniqueness to your space. But designing a home that is personal to you can be a daunting process when you have a budget and not unlimited amounts of time or knowledge in this design space. A designer who understands a space and how to marry its functional and aesthetic needs, all while keeping that budget in mind- who doesn’t want that? We strive to elevate the home design experience through free virtual consultations, access to exclusive trade vendors and pricing and unique furniture collections which give clients a sense of costs before they have engaged us.
What is your goal?
Aushi: Our ultimate goal is to empower budget conscious consumers to achieve their dream homes with the same benefits and discounts typically reserved for industry insiders. There is no longer this need for designers to keep their cards close to their chest, instead let’s share our wealth of experience and access with our SF community.
Do you both have the same styles and/or how do they differ?
Priscilla: I prefer softer tones and subtle patterns/textures. This year though darker toned rooms are something I am looking forward to exploring.
Aushi: I, on the other hand, am definitely the one that veers towards colour, but I would say we both take risks in every project we do. Each client pushes us in ways we don’t expect and sometimes we go down a path we could never have expected.
Priscilla: I absolutely agree with that. That is the beauty of our job. Nothing can be templated and that is something we wanted to continue with The Stylish Friend. Every client is different and wants to feel something different when they enter their home.
Because the SF collections are virtual, are potential clients missing out on a “true interior design” experience?
Priscilla: Well, there is give and take when you are trying to design on a budget. Our intention is to give more, but to be honest- the way to get the most out of our service is to follow our steps as we have laid them out for you and really invest in the time you do have with us when you get that face time. Are we going to pop over every time you have a change of heart about a paint colour? No. But we are good at our jobs and spend so much time after that initial consultation developing a design scheme that fits your aesthetic and functional needs. That’s where the majority of our work and expertise are utilised on your behalf. We do not template our designs so each client gets that individual attention.
Aushi: It’s also important to say- a lot of our relationships with our clients require trust. You can embark on this journey with us, but you have to trust our professional experience and know that our goal is not to leave you with a space that you dislike- we want you to love where you live! So as Priscilla said, lean into the consultations, ask questions, give us feedback - the more we know, the better.
