About us
Hey, we're Amber and Andrea, co-founders of Studio Foliage. Add in our amazing staff - Task tackling, plant-whispering Lyz on Backstock, and Mr. fix-it, walking encyclopedia Alex on Customer Care - and you've just met the whole gang.
Since 2018, we've been on the path to bring you beautiful, functional homeware handcrafted in Canada, and to make your life a little more botanical. Okay okay, you got us...A lot more botanical.
What we're all about:
We're here for those of you who seek joy and quality of life through your surroundings. We know that you want to feel good about where you spend your money and what you spend it on - you actually want to spend more for a superior product that aligns with you and your philosophies because you know it means that you're contributing to something greater than just your purchase. You support local economy, have high ethical standards, and are looking for unique, curated goods that reflect your style, your values, and make you feel good. You're all about humble luxury.
We get it. We're not just another company whose only bottom line is to make a profit, we are two driven women who long to make a positive impact on the world. We are not just a business, but a reflection of our own values and those of our community.
So, what are our values?
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Handmade
Something that is made or grown with the love and skill of a real human being is infinitely more valuable than something that was cut out on a machine, plastered with pesticides, or mass-produced on an assembly line. We want to provide you with goods that are crafted with integrity by two hands, a brain, and a heart; goods that provide nourishment for your senses and make you feel good about what you spend your money on. By working with Canadian craftspeople, we enrich our own economy and help talented artists make a living by doing what they love. We’re about finding luxury and joy in the simple everyday habits, and all about quality over quantity. We also know that quality is synonymous with sustainability. When something is timelessly designed, crafted with time-honoured traditions and with the skill of hundreds of hours of practice, we like to think of them as modern heirlooms. Well-made, beautiful pieces designed to last lifetimes and be passed down generations.
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Responsibility
We live in a fast, disposable world. The kind of world where things are cheaply made for maximum profit, convenience, speed, and accessibility. The sort of world where you can buy something worth $20 bucks for $10, and have it shipped free the next day. We all know it isn't sustainable, and we don’t believe that’s the right way to do things. That’s why we choose to buy from mostly small, independent producers and artisans who reflect our values and adhere to particular criteria. We want to showcase the bounty of talent we have in our own backyards, and to celebrate forward thinking and equality on a global scale. To us, responsibility means the the fair and ethical choice, the renewable, reusable, or recycled choice, the sustainable and accountable choice, the local choice. Sometimes it's the easy choice, sometimes it's the hard choice; it's usually the more expensive choice, and sometimes it's the choice between the lesser of two evils. We'll never be 100% sure we're always making the right choice, but we damn sure try our best. We spend hours of research when bringing on a new vendor - which could be anything from our stickers and packing material, to flower farms and greenhouses, to the dish soap and toilet paper we use at the shop, to where our crafts-partners source their raw materials from. While we are far from perfect, we really do put in the time to make the most responsible and educated decisions for our brand, and we're committed to learning, growing, and improving.
We believe that every dollar spent has immeasurable power for change. Every time you spend your money, you are voting for your values and you tell the world what’s important to you. When you shop Studio Foliage, you are investing back into small communities, and into businesses who respect and nourish the earth and who give back to their own communities too. We feel good about integrity, transparency, and social responsibility, and are always looking for feedback to help us grow. - Well-Being
Man, it’s tough to be a human. For some, it’s tougher. Mental well-being is an often overlooked or written-off aspect of overall health, but it is so incredibly important. Our mental state plays an enormous role in how we treat ourselves physically and emotionally, and how we treat other people. It's hard to ask for help, not to mention that treatment is expensive and may not be available or accessible for everyone - so you adapt and learn to live and cope with things on your own. We know how this feels. From coping with our own issues, we know that enriching your environment with living botanicals like houseplants and fresh flowers, and beautiful quality items that inspire you can help you think more positive thoughts and feel better, if even for a moment.
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Education
We believe that education and the pursuit of knowledge should be part of life. Expanding our minds keeps us sharp, makes us more curious, and allows us to make the best decisions we possibly can. Learning new skills is incredibly rewarding, boosts our confidence, and makes us better at the things we do, or want to do. We want to use our website and blog to keep learning and to share the knowledge! We embrace the fact that your experience doesn’t end when you leave our shop or when your delivery arrives - it’s just beginning. Whether you buy a plant, bouquet, coffee mug, or a bar of soap, we want to give you the knowledge and tools to keep your purchases beautiful longer, and to empower you to create positive change your home, your community, and our planet.
While we're still building our library of info, you can find fun and educational posts on our blog. More to come, we promise!
49a Donegani
Pointe-Claire, Qc
H9R 2V8, Canada