My Favorite Things @ Switch Studio

My new series, "My Favorite Things" has brought us today a special guest Staci Edwards, owner of Switch Studio. Her products and designs are too adorable and a perfect example of the treasures that are out there, that we might not know about. I caught up with Staci and asked her a few questions to really understand her designs and what she does:

Hello Staci!
1. What does your company do/make?

At Switch Studio I’m working hard to make reupholstery and furniture refinishing cool again! I take old furniture pieces, giving them a little TLC and a whole lot of style by redesigning, refinishing, and reupholstering them into beautiful one of a kind pieces for my clients to love. I also make other custom home decor items such as seat cushions, throw pillows, and curtains to help home owners complete the look. And if you need help coordinating fabrics with your interior then you’re in luck, because my background is Design, and I offer in-home consultations too.

"MY FAVORITE PIECE!!"

2. How did you get started with this new adventure?

I’ve always been drawn to the art of upholstery and furniture refinishing; I remember redoing furniture pieces I salvaged from my grandparents’ basement as I child – I mean, who needs Barbie Dolls when you have old furniture laying around? Okay, maybe I was an odd child, but that has helped to lead me to my true passion, and to the opening of Switch Studio - Hooray!
I truly loved being a Designer, but I always felt as though something was missing, so after some soul searching I realized it was that hands on element of actually creating something {which I enjoyed so much as a child} that I was craving. So, I decided to refocus a little more on the furniture refinishing and upholstery while still offering the design services that I enjoy doing, and Switch Studio was born!
3. What is your design philosophy and approach?

I cannot say I have a typical design approach, as every piece and person is so very different. I feel strongly that people should live with what they love, so when I redesign a piece, I really take the client’s taste into consideration first. I do try and gently guide clients to be a little more daring and step out of their comfort zone, just a little, in order to get a unique and show stopping piece. Next, I get to know the piece - Each piece really has it’s own ‘personality’ so to speak, so that helps to determine how I go about recreating it into something new and improved.

4. Are there any environmental components to your products?

At Switch Studio I do what I can to make the most environmentally responsible decisions whenever possible, because it is something near and dear to my heart. I don’t encourage reusing furniture pieces you already have just because that is my business, but also because it helps to keep these items out of the already very full landfills. I choose the greenest products possible to redo your pieces such as, zero VOC paint, water based glue, natural felt, and soy-based eco-foam and use eco-friendly packaging for shipping. To continue my green focus, our bags and business cards are printed on recycled materials, and to try to keep printing down to a minimum, we do all of our marketing and communications via email whenever possible. Basically, at Switch Studio, we’re kind of like happy little green fairies that happen to makeover furniture too!

5. Where can people find and buy your designs?

Thanks for asking! Most of our business is creating or redoing custom pieces for clients, so if you’d like a piece done please email the studio at info@switchstudio.ca for more information. I’m also working on creating items for sale, which can be purchased at our Etsy Shop. You can browse and purchase from our shop by visiting our website at www.switchstudio.ca and clicking on the SHOP button.6. Do you have a design tip or saying you would like to share?

"I feel strongly that people should live with what they love…”

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!