In the short time that NF Interiors has been around Great Falls, the Belgian furniture and textile business has garnered loyal customers and rave reviews. The success is due to the unusual product offering and impeccable attention to detail that the owners give every customer.
NF Interiors is helmed by Natasha Von Blumencron, who acts as buyer, decorator, stylist and adviser to her customers around the country. Von Blumencron's inspiration for the business stems from her upbringing in Belgium.
She and her husband returned to the United States seven years ago from Europe. Friends and acquaintances were so taken with her decorating style and the furniture she’d brought back with her that they were asking her to help with their own interiors. Soon a business was born.
“I have original, high-quality merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else. You can’t find anywhere else. And it is priced in the middle of the spectrum,” said Von Blumencron.
NF Interiors sells throughout the United States through its Web site (www.nfinteriors.com), but Von Blumencron prefers to work locally with her clients. “This is really our preferred choice because we believe in high service,” said Von Blumencron.
Her best-selling item, one that is about to be showcased in Better Homes & Garden magazine, is panel curtains. “They are available only through me in the United States. They are very high-quality, hand-finished pieces. People love Belgian linen,” said Von Blumencron.
“People are moving into homes that have more windows and larger windows. They want something to let light in and also to warm up the room. The focus really is on coziness.”
Though her interiors are elegant and chic, Von Blumencron is able to maintain a balance in her products that keeps them from being unapproachable. The warmth in her offerings stems from the decorating style unique to Belgium.
“In Belgium it rains 250 days a year, so people spend so much time inside the house, inside the home entertaining, so it needs to be cozy,” Von Blumencron explains. “It’s a balance we strike.”
Louise R. DeMeester has been a loyal customer of NF Interiors for a year. “I totally trust Natasha’s instincts. All I have to do is give her a description of the things I’m looking for,” said DeMeester.
“She’s got sources no one else has. Everything is imported. You don’t necessarily have those resources here. If you are looking for something unique, something you won’t find elsewhere,” NF Interiors has it, said DeMeester.
NINETY PERCENT of NF Interiors business is from repeat customers, like DeMeester. Von Blumencron credits this to the quality and value, as well as the originality, of the collection she offers.
Maintaining her “edge” requires trips to Paris to see what’s available and what the new season brings. “There it is like clothes. Each season there are new things for the home, "said Von Blumencron. “I’m looking for things that aren’t available here, for things that are trends in Europe.”
NF Interiors’ showroom in Great Falls is also a home, so the possibilities for the furniture, rugs, linens and tapestries are displayed in a setting that mirrors how they will look for customers.
Von Blumencron does this because her clients often look for a complete package, not just a rug or curtains. “People want a whole room done. We will choose the bed linens, the curtains, the wall color - everything,” said Von Blumencron, who acts as interior designer as well as the source of furnishings.
The ability to coordinate and pull together rooms is a service offered to her local clients without charge. Because she owns the business and directly imports the goods, her profit margin is built in, eliminating the need for a design charge. Consultations are available by appointment only.
Great Falls clients not only have direct access to the showroom and designer but also have time on their side. “The standard order takes about four weeks from consulting and measuring to installation,” said Von Blumencron.