Andover, MA – Savoir Faire Home is best known for its distinctive home décor and gift items, as well as the inspired interior design services of owner Lisa Duffy and her team. Since 2005, Savoir Faire Home has occupied the 900-square foot storefront at 23 Barnard Street in Andover. In early November 2018, Duffy more than doubled her square footage by expanding into the vacant space next door, formerly the location of Izzy’s Emporium. Here she opened doors to her new design showroom. “I’ve always been looking for more space,” says Duffy. “It was always on my mind and when contiguous space opens up, you don’t want to let go of it.”
Prior to the expansion, Duffy and her staff managed the design side of business from the basement of the retail shop. While not ideal, it didn’t stop Savoir Faire Home’s design services from quadrupling. Duffy welcomed the opportunity to expand into the inviting 1200 square foot space of the new showroom. Full of natural light, the setting provides Duffy and her team a comfortable and efficient place to work, meet with clients, and showcase home furnishings.
While the retail store continues to focus on home décor, the design showroom offers a bigger picture. “I wanted to give a feel for what a whole house would look like, what a whole room would look like if we designed it for you,” Duffy says. Selections from Savoir Faire Home’s upholstered furniture lines, Lee Industries and Cisco Brothers, are now in-house for customers to experience firsthand. “You can now visualize what your house is going to look like with these pieces in them,” Duffy says. “I continue to believe that there is an aesthetic quality to shopping that you are never going to be able to replace with online shopping. This is the perfect industry for it because people want to touch, feel, and sit. It envelops them when they come here and that’s exactly what I wanted—a blast to your senses.”
Duffy held a friends, family, and client private opening in the new showroom on November 2 that was filled to capacity. This was followed by a public grand opening on November 3. Preparing for these events did not come without reservation as the new showroom was the only unit in the Barnard Street building operating on gas. Fortunately, gas was restored just days before the grand opening, allowing Duffy to warmly welcome her guests, as well as to feature the fully operational kitchen on the showroom floor.
“It’s been very difficult for business in Andover,” Duffy says. “Everyone in Andover has felt the effect of the explosions.” Business aside, Duffy’s greatest concern is for families whose homes are still without gas and heat.
Stay tuned for events in Savoir Faire Home’s new kitchen space where plans for instructional cooking classes and demonstrations are under way.
Photo by Zoe Isaac.