I’m Klara…
After a decade in the made to measure soft furnishings industry, I decided to launch Klara Stanbridge Ltd. Offering my skills and expertise to design, advise and manufacture the highest quality of furnishings for professionals in the trade as well as consultancy for fellow furnishing professionals.
our story…
Q | ‘Why did you choose the furnishings industry?’
I like to think it found me! I was always incredibly creative growing up. My mother said I could draw before I could talk, and my fondest memories as a child was when my dad brought home a reem of letterhead paper from his company, because it meant I could turn it over and have a fresh sheet of white paper that was yet to be engulfed in my doodles and colouring! I spent my weekends drawing colouring in pages for other children at my school, taking requests of the pictures they wanted to colour. But somehow in all of that, not once did it cross my mind growing up that I could use my creativity in a job one day. I was too focused on wanting to be in the police force, and for 12 years did all I could to achieve that. From studying criminology and psychology at A Level, to being a member of the cadet forces for over 10 years.
One day, life took me in a different trajectory. I found myself in a position where finding a full time place of employment was a must and fast. It was a friend who pointed out an advert in the local paper. A local, family owned soft furnishings and interior design company, looking for a “smart and bright school leaver” to join their team. So I took the plunge and went for it. Cutting a long story short, I had an interview the following day and was offered the job that day. A month later I began my first full time employment at this wonderful company at the age of 18, and the rest is history as they say!
Q | ‘How did you get from that to the point of starting Klara Stanbridge Ltd?’
By working the hardest I could have possibly worked. I’ve always been a bit of a knowledge sponge and love learning about new subjects or new skills. So I embraced every moment of my working career and absorbed as much industry knowledge as I could.
I was very lucky because that local company I started working with, were hugely knowledgeable in this field and over the 5 years I worked there, gave me so much experience and confidence in the products. They specialised in both commercial and domestic design, so when they promoted me to manager, I was able to gain a firm grasp of both sides of this stunning industry. I’ve worked all across the world and for some of the most influential clients on private homes, hotels, hospitals, embassies, yachts and offices. This variety of experienced enabled me to launch Klara Stanbridge Ltd, in order to offer this knowledge to others.