Luna Rosa Home, located at 1218 Washington Street, always boasts impressive window displays. Walking by the home store is a treat, as the eye is immediately drawn to the well-designed, well-planned décor. Though Luna Rosa was purposefully named after a song by Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso, the place is right at home in Hoboken {Frank Sinatra happens to have a tune by the very same name}. Read on to learn more about Luna Rosa Home and how the owner Diane Stiglich has shifted gears during the pandemic.
The Ever Cheerful Window
Inside the shop, customers will find a carefully curated collection. The store’s style is bright and eclectic, often dictated by the consumers’ current interests. A few years ago, for example, the popularity of one sparkly silver pillow started a trend of featured metallic items {sure to jazz up any apartment}. Stock is typically sourced from a range of local vendors who can provide both classic and “outside of the box” options in the home accessory and gift space.
Labels reading Designer’s Guild, Barefoot Dreams, and Pom Pom hang off of the many-textured materials adorning the shelves. As a rule, Luna Rosa aims to carry decorations that are stylish while also warm and cozy. These are charming home products intended to make people happy.
But despite the consistently well-thought-out window dressing and comprehensive design floor, Luna Rosa’s owner, Diane Stiglich, admits she doesn’t always have a plan.
The Affects of COVID-19
This was certainly the case when Diane unexpectedly made the call to close up shop last year on March 14 — one day before Mayor Bhalla announced the official coronavirus lockdown. Like many Hoboken business owners, Diane did not anticipate locking her doors for three months. She also could not have foreseen how a crisis would lead to creativity in the retail space.
For those first three months, it was tricky. Supply chains were disrupted, and vendors were unable to fulfill orders. Any business typically resulting from foot traffic, of course, evaporated. But Diane was determined not to close permanently.
Yet, the prospect of a seemingly necessary digital presence was daunting. Luna Rosa had never had a website, Diane never wanted one. She loved the genuine interaction that her brick-and-mortar store promoted. And it was this very interaction that helped Luna Rosa to weather the covid storm.
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Diane quickly found customers from across the country who were eager to spruce up their homes and support the small business. Most of these patrons were current or former Hoboken residents who had experienced first-hand the welcoming atmosphere and hospitable reception at Luna Rosa.
Diane claims she is a natural hostess, and that this is the mentality she always brought into running the store. By shopping at Luna Rosa through Instagram, customers were still able to receive that comforting connection and conversation.
At that point, Diane began to lean into the moment. She started to sell masks and jigsaw puzzles {those classic covid necessities} while continuing to provide the linens, art, and accents that her clientele craved. She sought out alternate vendors who could keep up with her demand, and when the business was able to reopen on June 15, she redesigned the small store so that people could effectively socially distance inside.
When asked about the many changes over the course of a few months, Diane simply says: “I work within the parameters this allows, and within those parameters, I push the envelope.”
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Luna Rosa is continuing to build back after a challenging year. Luckily, covid has changed the way customers approach designing their homes. Diane notes that more people want their surroundings to be beautiful and tactile when their reality is tied to a computer for most of the day. Design has become a way to make life richer when access to other experiences is restricted. “Blank walls can push in on you,” Diane says.
“When you have to really sit with something, sit still, it makes a difference whether you’re looking at a beautiful image or four blank walls.” As the world continues to open and Hoboken swaps one new normal for another, it seems that Luna Rosa will remain an essential stop for shoppers looking to make their home life more colorful.
