R. Ward Lariscy is the sole proprietor of R. Ward Lariscy, Inc., an antique and gift shop on Prudential Drive. His company has been in business for 22 years.
DO YOU HAVE
OTHER LOCATIONS?
The Prudential Drive location houses his design showroom. He operates gift and accessory shops, known as The Wardroom Ltd., out of San Marco, Amelia Island and St. Augustine. “I started in San Marco. That was the first design shop. Then I went to Europe and bought too many antiques to fit there, so I moved in here.”
WHERE DO YOU BUY
YOUR ANTIQUES?
“Most of my antiques are imports. I travel to England and France to purchase them. Plus, I have dealers that buy in Sweden. We comb the eastern coast of the United States for antiques, too. We sell anything for the home.”
WHAT TYPE OF FURNISHINGS DO
YOU BUY?
“I go for more traditional, classic and decorative pieces; like painted pieces because that accents when all the furniture is in wood tones.”
DO YOU GET a GREAT DEAL OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC?
“Decorating is not a business where people walk in off the street. It costs a lot of money so people want to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth. I’ve been doing this for 35 years so I’ve built up repeat customers.”
WHERE Did YOU LEARN
THE TRADE?
“I was with May Cohens for 15 years in charge of the interior design department and as fashion director for the home.”
WHY DID YOU LEAVE?
“I could see the great change coming. Department stores are not the place to be any more. Now it’s Home Depot and Target — those are the department stores of the future.”
WHERE IS YOUR
CUSTOMER BASE?
“Most of my work is in Jacksonville, but because people are coming in from outlying areas, we’ve gone elsewhere to do work. You do their place here and then their vacation homes. Now that downtown is coming alive again with residents, we’re seeing business in those places. I’ve got a condo in the Berkman townhomes I’m going to furnish.”
WHAT ABOUT DESIGN APPEALS TO YOU?
“It’s creating beauty. How I really got into it was I went to a psychologist in college. Through counseling and testing, he pulled out my inner desires. That’s how I ended up in design. I started in engineering because that was what my father was pushing for and what the country was pushing for. There was a big demand for engineers then and they were paying well.”
WHAT’S YOUR
BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY?
“I treat my clients the way that psychologist treated me. We come up with several ideas, but they have to make the final decision. When I show a fabric, I give them several choices, but they’re the ones that have to live with it. You have to really analyze a person to find out their likes. If I had another profession to go into, it would be psychology because you really have to get inside people’s heads.”
HOMETOWN
Savannah.
HAVE YOU WORKED IN ANOTHER FIELD?
“In high school, I worked in a sporting goods warehouse as a stock boy. Then in college, I worked at a florist. When I was in the Army for two years, I was a clerk typist.”
WHAT’S MOST REWARDING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
“Finishing a project that is appreciated and that the client is happy with. And since I work mainly with the women, getting thank you notes from the husbands is most rewarding.”
— by Monica Chamness