Designer Debra Losch presides over a furniture shop that’s more akin to a jewel-box boutique than the cavernous decorator showrooms that typically carry the luxury brands she offers. The four-year-old Sarasota Chic Interiors displays a tightly edited cache of high-end furniture, rugs and decorative accessories, all hand-picked.

Also a full-service interior design firm, Sarasota Chic has volumes of sample books, swatches and catalogs for clients to peruse. “I fell in love with interior design when I was just a kid starting out in real estate 35 years ago,” says the Siesta Key resident, who’s been designing homes for clients ever since.

Losch’s style, a blend of transitional, soft contemporary furnishings with touches of traditional and pops of colorful art, met with instant success at her first retail venture. “I opened in 2009 during the height of the recession. Everyone thought I was crazy, but we did quite well,” she says.

Inside the Look

What stirs your creative juices? “Crafted pieces, handmade decorative products, and preferably made in the U.S. That’s been our focus, and it has resonated with our customers. One of my favorite lines is Old Biscayne—completely artisan made and customizable with thousands of finishes.”

Can’t live without? “Art—my father was a painter in Gaeta, Italy. He did landscapes and portraits, and now my daughter, Ariana, is studying art at USF. She’s only 19 and her illustrations are just wonderful.”

What this town needs? “My husband, Scott, is now giving Sarasota what we both think it needs: really nice affordable art. He opened Chic Art and Accents a few months ago half a block away from here, and the shop is doing really well. This town has lots of expensive galleries, but there was nothing in the $500 to $3,000 range for painted giclées and original pieces.”

Sarasota Chic Interiors

7484 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

(941) 924-8666

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This article appears in the May 2014 issue of Sarasota Magazine. Like what you read? Click here to subscribe. >>