The Stensrud Equation: Simplicity + Style = Success

With a cordial manner and quick wit, business owner Debra Stensrud warmly welcomes customers to her keenly curated shop called FOUND The ART of HOME, located at 116 Mansfield Street in Belvidere.

Growing up in the Poconos, Debra always wanted to have her own business. At the age of 19, she opened a hair salon, then a second one, and stayed for 12 years.

After marrying John Stensrud, she closed her businesses in Stroudsburg when the couple moved to Saratoga Springs. Debra said, “I planned to open a shop there. I worked hard and did all my due diligence. When we were ready to sign the lease, Covid hit.”

As their family grew, Debra happily stepped into the role of stay-at-home mom and homeschooled their three children.

The couple eventually moved to Belvidere so Debra could care for her mother.

What a team they make! Debra, the designer and John, the builder, put their heads together to elevate their new place from renovation to transformation. Debra dreams up the ideas and John brings them to life.

At one point, Debra considered establishing a home-staging business in Belvidere, organizing and styling homes to minimize clutter. “People liked what I did, but I was mostly on my own,” she explained. “I needed to be around people. That’s the best thing about my shop.”

She described the exact moment the seeds for FOUND The ART of HOME were planted. “Sitting in our living room (now the store) with my cousin, she suggested I open a shop here. I asked where and she replied right here, right in your living room! She explained the entire first floor of our building is commercially zoned. The second and third floors are residential.”

Debra laughed. “Who knew? That revelation started me thinking. I wasn’t sure I could open a shop in Belvidere, but I didn’t want to wait. I’m so glad I did it when I did!”

She shared, “Now I’m an empty nester with a three year old golden-doodle named Mabel. I feel like I’ve found myself and I’m found in Jesus Christ. I want people to visit my store and say, ‘I just found the perfect gift for someone…the perfect item for my house…the perfect workshop to inspire my creativity.’ That’s why I named the store FOUND The ART of HOME.”

Her original idea was to stick with a minimalistic, Scandinavian feel, and sell furniture, which proved difficult to acquire after Covid. At the same time, people were requesting specific items, which Debra would procure for them. Suddenly FOUND The ART of HOME was the place to go for something special.

“I’m trying to really get to know my people,” she said. “Maybe they want a gift or something new for a kitchen re-do. On the other hand, they often come in and are happy to browse and socialize. Sometimes they just come in to visit. We’ll sit in the back and chat over a cup of coffee or tea.” Debra welcomes it all.

Running her own business reminded her of a big reason to stay small. Some entrepreneurs feel online shopping is the way to go. Debra disagrees. “I think people are dying for a connection. When they come in, they trust what I’m suggesting they purchase. They know I’m never going to be pushy. Sometimes I even talk them out of buying something they really don’t need.” There’s a real rapport between shopkeeper and shopper.

With an aptitude for teaching, Debra conducted many workshops at her church’s annual retreats. Now she offers workshops at FOUND The ART of HOME on topics like organizing, journaling, entertaining, hospitality, hand-lettering, the art of charcuterie – all areas of personal experience that she is excited to share. She said, “I love watching their enthusiasm as attendees learn something new.”

Realizing these women are seeking ways to be creative, she never stops soliciting them for new workshop topics. Currently in the planning stage: styling book shelves, flower styling, and essential oils.

FOUND The ART of HOME is stocked with mostly neutral colors, making it easy to mix and match. Having an affinity for vintage items, Debra may mix old with new to add spots of color. “I want people to ask what made you think to sell this? The simple answer is because I use mine all the time in so many ways.” She continued, “I stage little vignettes in my store to illustrate how I use something. Or I’ll put a funny tag on it that reads ‘You gotta have five!’  Everything is high quality, multifunctional and purposeful.”

As people become acquainted with Debra and her style, they trust her instincts. She is her own brand, and customers favor her as their brand, as well.

How does she source everything? Trade shows are not her cup of tea. She regularly asks her customers what they’d like to see, adding new inventory all the time. Frequently, she stocks items she personally uses at home. Her mother-in-law introduced her to Faribault blankets from Minnesota many years ago. She now sells them in her store. She loves to cook and bake, so she carries specialty kitchenware like a great spatula, perfect drizzle spoon, or chef’s tweezers.

Debra wants FOUND The ART of HOME to be a respite – a place to browse and shop, savor the soothing aroma of an essential oil wafting through the air, feel at peace, make friends. Retail therapy at its most lavish, she says, “It’s the shop you never knew you needed!”

Her business model is simple. “I never went to school for business, but I know what I like and what I don’t like. I’m kind of throwing things against the wall and seeing what sticks. If it works that’s great, if not, then we at least had some fun.”

Despite having no “official” marketing background, a friend dubbed Debra a “marketing genius.” When she opened her first salon, she didn’t even know how to engage with people. “Look at me now,” she laughed. “My growth has been organic.” She also mentioned, “I used to play tennis, now I play pickleball.”

With customers near and as far away as Mendham, Montclair, Frenchtown, and Bucks County, Debra Stensrud has FOUND The ART of HOME for her patrons.

FOUND The ART of HOME
116 Mansfield Street, Belvidere, NJ 07823
Web: foundtheartofhome.com   Socials: @found.the.art.of.home