MARIA TOMAS OPENS OUTDOOR LIVING STORE
Co- owners meet demand for designer patio furniture with new location
The store includes a magnificent umbrella set — with a 400- pound base — that was tested in a wind tunnel.
It hardly seems possible that 14 years have passed since Klari Fekete and Julian Riley, combining their middle names, launched Maria Tomas as a furniture and decor store at 11th Avenue and 11th Street S. W.
Fekete had run an upholstery firm and Riley was an interior designer, so both were closely associated with furniture, textiles and all manner of decor. They searched for the right location and chose what had been a Beaver Lumber store before Canadian Western Natural Gas Co. took it over.
The 2,500- square- foot showroom became much tighter as the business grew and customers’ demands for a wider selection had to be met. To help ease the strain, the pair leased a suitable warehouse, though it was not an ideal situation given its distant location in the Foothills Industrial district of southeast Calgary.
Two years ago, the co- owners opened a Pop up Patio store during the summer months in a building fronting 9th Avenue S. W. that was the former home of Stampede Pontiac Buick. Riley said the sales of designer patio furniture were far better than expected and customers asked for a permanent location where they could purchase items yearround.
As a result Maria Tomas opened a new outdoor living showroom last week at 6051 Centre Street S. W.
The main store, in what has become known as the design district, is on a street well- represented by other summer- related shops — patio furniture, hot tubs, plants, etc.
It has been tastefully redesigned as a rather striking showroom with lots of room to display furniture settings, outdoor lighting — including an attractive set made in Quebec from recycled plastic — and cosy, gas- fired fire pits. A large warehouse area saves the trips to the southeast and allows the store to recognize immediately any damage caused during shipping.
The style of furniture is not at the top end of the scale, though most pieces would be acceptable as indoor furnishings as the quality, design and range of fabrics is very tasteful. In sourcing product a preference is for North American manufacturers but patio sets are also brought in from Germany and Italy.
The store includes samples from such well- known manufacturers as Tommy Bahamas and a magnificent umbrella set — with a 400- pound base — that was tested in a wind tunnel.
Maria Tomas Indoor and Outdoor Living is an extension of the downtown store and staffed by the same qualified people who have helped keep customers returning over the past 14 years. The designers offer custom service and in- home consulting in all matters related to furniture decor.
NEWS AND NOTES
After beating out five other cities, Calgary and Edmonton Global Shaper Hubs have won the bid to host SHAPE North America, an annual conference put on by the World Economic Forum’s Global Shaper Institute. The initiative seeks to engage and equip young leaders aged 20 to 30 who are connected through city- based groups called Hubs.
The conference will be held at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary and The Banff Centre in Banff from July 24 to 27. Japman Bajaj, Calgary Hub Curator, said he expects 200 delegates from across North America with additional visitors from Europe.
Japman, an entrepreneur and representative of Soxial in Calgary, was a member of the Ottawa Hub before moving here two years ago. The volunteer leader said there are now 14 members here who will be very busy putting on the conference, one of the gatherings involving 4,500 members in 40 Hubs worldwide.
AWARDS APPROACH
The Life of Learning Awards — best known as The LOLAs — celebrate amazing educators, adult learners and programs in Calgary. This year’s award ceremony will be held April 22 at Fort Calgary.