By Bill Forrester
randi Sharkey was looking for a change of pace eight years ago when the concept for Ivy & Stone was birthed. “I was doing wedding photography,” she said. “The other thing I always liked to do was decorate. I would buy stuff online or find stuff when I was working and bring it home with me. I thought that would be a neat idea to bring in and do for people. So, I just rolled with it. And we’ve been rocking and rolling with it ever since.”
Sharkey assembled her team and launched her interior design and home stylizing services business. They help clients find the perfect look for their spaces, regardless of what stage they are in — from construction to renovation to remodeling. The Ivy & Stone team is committed from start to finish to alleviate stress for their clients and ensure exquisite results. “That’s what sets us apart,” Sharkey said. “We are very hands on. I can’t tell you how many times people have come in and they don’t know how to style their shelves, and we do it right here in the store. We can sketch out what to put where. It’s like a personalized shopping session. Our customer service is really strong.”
Ivy & Stone also has relationships with trade only showrooms that provide unique and beautiful home decor, including rugs, furniture, lighting, and bedding. They will design a space, find the right pieces to fill that space and install and style it all to complete the perfect look. It’s that expertise that makes all the difference, Sharkey said. “You can get nice things up the street at Target,” she said. “Many people just don’t know what to do with it. That’s why we get so many repeat customers.”
“We are very hands on…It’s like a personalized shopping session. Our customer service is really strong.”
Sharkey said Ivy & Stone has been busy since people spent more time at home during the COVID pandemic. “With everyone spending so much time at home, they began to see things they wanted to work on,” she said. “Nothing major, but when you stare at it long enough, you want to change it. Others are updating just because they want something new and different.”
The full-service team at Ivy & Stone understands both the latest design trends and classic designs. Each project— large or small — begins with a consultation to discuss the prospective client’s tastes and visions for each space. “If someone comes to us, we ask them what they are looking for,” Sharkey said. “Some want to keep a classic, traditional style. We keep that in mind making selections. Others want a more transitional space. We have others who want super trendy and really modern. A lot of it has to do with the style of the home and their lifestyle. We discuss all that in the consultation. We can go trendy, somewhere in the middle, or classic and timeless. The goal is for the client to love it for years to come.”
318.658.9315 | IVYANDSTONEHOME.COM
4320 Benton Rd., Bossier City, LA