Photo: Keith Lacey/Local Journalism Initiative Trevor Guerard and Agnes Stayanovich are expanding their partnership with a new home decor store in downtown Penticton. Downtown Penticton’s coolest street is about to get a little more funky. The city’s oldest furniture store Guerard’s Furniture is teaming up with long-time store employee and well-known designer Agnes Stayanovich to open a vibrant new retail store on Front Street.
Tangent, Home Décor and Furniture, officially opened at 25 Front Street on Thursday. Guerard’s is located just around the corner on Backstreets Boulevard. Stayanovich is a long-time designer at Guerard’s and has also owned and operated Lanyon Homes and Agnes Stayanovich Design on Front Street for many years.
She was the first in-house designer hired at Guerard’s dating back almost 30 years. Guerard’s manager and co-owner Trevor Guerard and Stayanovich couldn’t be more excited. “We liked the named Tangent, which we found is kind of whimsical and allegorical,” said Guerard, who has been in the furniture business his entire adult life.
“This is our opportunity to move into more of a passion for the design and artsy angle of the functional quality goods we’re going to be selling in the store. “The way the timing worked out with Agnes was just right. She felt her design business was in jeopardy with construction next door and a lease renewal on the table, so we felt it was a really opportune time to come together and bring some of what we do here at Guerard’s to a new venture and incorporate what she’s been doing well for decades into this partnership and collaboration.
” Tangent will sell furniture, but the primary focus will be decorative household items, giftware, barware, lighting, rugs and other interior design materials. “The idea is to make Tangent an extension of our store here at Guerard’s, as well as an extension of Angela’s business at Lanyon Homes,” he said. When Stayanovich opened her design business, she continued to work part-time at Guerard’s and has had a longstanding friendship with the Guerard family, she said.
“My relationship with the Guerard family goes way back,” she said. “I worked here physically on the floor in the design aspect. This was always my go-to place.
” When she started Agnes Stayanovich Interior Design over 20 years ago, her office was located in the top floor of Guerard’s warehouse building. When a space became available on the main floor of the same building, she opened her own small interior design business called Lanyon Home. Lanyon Home moved to Ellis Street several years ago.
She was given notice she had to move recently and wasn’t given much time to do it, she said. “We had to get out pretty quickly, so we found a space next door to the Guerard’s warehouse building. That happened and now we have come to where we are today.
” Tangent is located beside Carl’s Flowers and across from Dragon’s Den art supply. “We’re lucky to be moving into a space that is pretty much considered a landmark on Front Street,” she said. The past several months have been hectic as she’s been working long hours to shut down her old business and get Tangent set up for the public, said Stayanovich.
“The adrenaline rush is very high,” she said. “It’s very exciting to be working with Trevor. He has some amazing ideas for this store.
He’s very innovative and I think this is going to be a great collaboration.” Tangent will offer close to 2,000 square feet of space to sell items and, as an interior designer, she promises to make the store look unique and vibrant, she said. “I’m bringing everything with me that I carried that was luxurious and beautiful from Lanyon Home,” she said.
“There will be beautiful organic throw rugs, almost everything we sell will be natural fibre. We’re very much into natural products, including candles, soaps, linens, towels, and Kasimir blankets. Those kinds of things are coming from my old store.
” Guerard said he is looking forward to continuing working with Stayanovich. “I’ve always respected Agnes for her uncompromising commitment to quality and customer service with her clients,” he said. “We’ve obviously dealt a lot with her as a designer, helping her complete her vision with her clients.
I think our morals really align in terms of items we’re selling, where they come from, where we’re placing them in the store.” She and Guerard will work as a team to decide which items will be placed on display and for sale, said Stayanovich. “I will be running the store day-to-day, but Trevor and I are on equal footing and have collaborated on absolutely everything we’re bringing into the store,” she said.
“It should be a beautiful working relationship.” Guerard agreed. “We hope to become a valued addition to the downtown retail landscape,” he said.
“We’re offering another nice, quality store with unique goods.” This originally appeared in the Penticton Herald and is shared via the Local Journalism Initiative..
