Over the years Westport has been known for its onions, illustrators, marketing firms and hedge funds.
Now it’s filled with home design studios. And — rather than seeing them as competition — that’s one reason Scott Falciglia and Jhon Ortiz opened The Tailored Home in Westport.
Scott Falciglia (standing) and Jhon Ortiz.
“This town feels like home,” Scott says. “There’s a lot of good design here. The shops are well supported. They bring people here from all around.”
“Here,” in his case, is the corner of Post Road East and Turkey Hill South. In a surprisingly large space, he and his partner — in work and life — have created a studio, showroom and full-service custom workroom. They say it represents “the future of furniture shopping.”
Every piece is made to order, by hand, in Westport and Norwalk. Scott and Jhon support local artisans, and are drawing young workers into the area.
Scott talks about his business as a micro-economy. “Food isn’t the only thing that’s better local,” he notes.
The Tailored Home does not specialize in one specific style. It touts “old and new, together always.” Each vignette in the store features both trendy and reimagined vintage pieces — chairs, tables, even candles and window treatments. “A lot of people try to do this on their own, at home,” he says. “It’s hard. But it works.”
Scott Falciglia says the candles on the left are traditional — including the scent. Those on the right are more trendy, with a charcoal scent.
The items he sells can be repurposed, too. They’re an antidote to today’s “throwaway culture.”
Scott believes in design as “a means to positive change. Your spaces are the stages on which the next version of yourself rehearses.” He enjoys helping clients “set the stage for the person they’re growing into.”
He has changed versions of his own self. A finance major at Fairfield University — with interests in sociology, anthropology and design — he met Jhon 5 years ago. Venezuela-born, Colombia-raised, Jhon had a well-regarded workroom.
“He’s a perfectionist,” Scott says admiringly. “His hands are on every piece. And it shows.”
But even though The Tailored Home is 2 years old, Scott did not leave his job in finance until last May.
He revels in his company’s family feel. Eric Louison — a Weston High graduate, now a sophomore at Champlain College — created a great video in which Scott and Jhon tell their story.
Liz Lanspery — a student at Central Connecticut State University — started as a summer intern. Now she’s in charge of creating The Tailored Home’s cohesive image.
And Kathy Leverty — a Fairfield mother of 2 — is a welcome presence in the front of the store.
In his spare time, Scott runs a blog. RiddleMeThis is his way of describing the relationship of design to today’s world. He tackles topics like post-industrial cities. Why, he asks, do people suddenly find beauty in old warehouses?
“It’s a fun playground for me to talk about things I’ve always been interested in,” Scott says.
Although — as The Tailored Home settles into its Westport niche — it’s clear he’s left finance far behind.
Jhon Ortiz designed and built this unique table.