Shawn and Sondra Hannan know what you’re thinking. You want a new sofa or loveseat. And maybe a lamp. You have a few ideas torn from magazines and a few more you noted from a TV decor show. Those big showrooms are overwhelming. So are the number of options online. Hiring a designer seems out of the question.
The Hannans invite you to step inside Tampa Bay Furnishings. Their goal is to help you figure out exactly what it is you need to make your home complete, to make it fit your personality and vision.
Before opening the shop, Shawn was indulging his woodworking hobby, and found that people were drawn to some of his creations. “He built a lot of pieces for us,” Sondra said, especially accents such as wooden wine racks and candlesticks.
As they furnished their own home, Sondra said, “We noticed that there were big-box stores and really high-end boutiques. We wanted to create something in the middle.”
Their love of woodworking and high-quality furniture led them to open Tampa Bay Furnishings in November of 2014. The shop features thoughtfully curated pieces to help ignite clients’ creativity. Together, Shawn and Sondra visit vendors throughout the country in order to expand their knowledge and find additional resources for their clients.
“Our store is like a lifestyle,” Shawn said. “We’re trying to create a community. We want the store to be a fun, living place.”
Sondra handles many of the store’s administrative tasks, including sales, back-office duties, inventory and website updates. The team also includes Lydia Mason, store manager and interior designer, and Michelle Turpeau, marketing director, who works with Realtors, designers, builders and other professionals on referral programs.
Inspired Design
Tampa Bay Furnishings is the place to go for all your furnishing needs. They offer items for every room in your house, plus an eclectic mix of items you won’t find anywhere else. For example, one recent afternoon, a shop visitor inquired about a lighting fixture, and learned that it once illuminated part of the Treasure Island Bridge.
In addition to one-of-a-kind finds like this, many paintings and accessories in the shop come from Tampa Bay area artists, many of whom have no studio space to display their work. “We want to support local artists,” Lydia said. The shop provides an environment where they can get their work out in front of potential investors.
Lydia works with clients to help them identify their unique design style. “We really like to look at how they dress and try to match their style,” she said. She puts together a floor plan and digital boards to help them envision the space. “People get to a certain point, and they need help,” Lydia said. “Often, when we arrive at a plan, they’ll say, ‘That’s so me!’“
Lydia also said that the showroom is “just the tip of the iceberg” of the service they can provide to clients. “Come into the store one day, and you may not see exactly what you want,” she said. But once they get to know the client, they can provide real, usable and functional looks, which fit into your unique lifestyle, and can endure even children and dogs.
So the next time you are looking to update your home furnishings or decor, before you make a questionable online purchase on a rug, table or chair, “Just pop in,” Shawn said. “It’s such a hassle to undo bad decisions.”
Tampa Bay Furnishings is located at 3034 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N. in St. Pete. They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call 727-821-4100 or visit TampaBayFurnishings.com.
