A local design studio and furniture store is bringing the finer things to the North.
Chantal Magny, owner and principal designer at Narrative Interiors, began her business a little over 10 years ago out of a spare bedroom in her house.
What started out as a home staging business grew so quickly that within the first six months, she needed to hire an assistant and move into a dedicated studio space in order to keep up. Staging turned to decorating, then turned to designing and by the two-year mark, Magny had hired yet more staff to keep up with growing demand.
Magny worked in education for many years before her two daughters went away to school, prompting her to pursue her passion.
“I loved my work in the school system, but I knew that’s not what I wanted to do,” Magny says. “So, I took a leap of faith and I left.”
“It’s not always easy. You hear ‘Just follow your passion,’ but passion doesn’t always pay the bills. But when you’re doing something you love and the hard times come — because they will come — at least you love what you’re doing. You’re going to keep at it,” she says.
Behind the checkout counter at the store is a framed print of Don’t Quit, a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier. It is a poem that holds personal meaning for Magny and her journey as an entrepreneur.
“I ordered it, I think secretly, for myself. But it keeps selling. I think everyone should have this in their space,” she says.
“As you get older in life, things maybe do get a little easier, but when you’re starting out it’s not that easy, is it?”
For Magny, the path to success has been anything but linear. But three relocations and more than a decade later, Narrative Interiors has been in its current location at 2125 Riverside Dr.. since November 2022. In addition to taking on design projects, they’ve expanded yet again to selling furniture, décor, and other homewares.
“There have been a lot of moves, but every move has been growth,” Magny says.
Narrative has a variety of design projects on the go, both private and commercial, local and everywhere from Sudbury, to Hearst, to Toronto. In the future, Magny would love to eventually build a showroom and design studio that would be more tailored to the needs of the business.
She envisions a destination store, where every visit is a new experience. She says she prefers people be able to purchase an item in her store and bring it home the same day, but acknowledges that isn’t always possible in a post-pandemic era rife with shipping delays and supply issues.
“When I first started the business, I wanted to make sure that everyone had access to a beautiful home,” Magny says.
“I try to achieve that same feel, look, and service as when you go down south, to Toronto. I’m trying to bring that here because we deserve it. We shouldn’t have to drive eight hours to go to a nice store. The North deserves to have a nice store with finer things,” she says.
“The difference between our furniture store and anyone else’s is that we have incredibly talented, experienced designers to help you make a furniture purchase.”
In addition to herself, Magny now has four staff, all from various design backgrounds, and all women.
“We do have an all-female staff, which I’m very proud of,” Magny says. She also acknowledges that her success would not have been possible without the support of the many mentors who have helped her along the way, regardless of gender. “Just like an athlete, an entrepreneur needs to be surrounded by an amazing team.”
In the last decade since changing careers, Magny says she has seen a shift in the interior design industry.
“Of my last six commercial projects, five of them are for women-owned businesses. That’s pretty incredible,” Magny says. “We’re in a time where women are in leadership positions. It’s amazing. I’m excited because I have two daughters, so it makes me proud. We’re in a good place. We still have quite a way to go, we really do, but we’re getting there and that’s exciting.”
Leading a team of women is important to Magny as a mother, but also as a woman entrepreneur who has dealt with her own fair share of challenges that other women in business might find relatable; the expectation that working women must strike a perfect balance between their personal and professional lives.
“I work long hours, through most weekends, most evenings, and through holidays if necessary—by choice, of course. I often hear that I should try to find a ‘work-life balance’. I work in a male-dominated industry, and I don’t usually hear men discuss their ‘work-life balance,’” Magny says.
“To be successful in business, you need to make sacrifices and make unpopular choices. I made the choice to commit wholeheartedly to Narrative Interiors, and because of that I have faced some challenges with friendships and family early in the business. At first it was difficult that I couldn't balance it all, but now I recognize and accept that my priorities are my family, and yes, my successful growing business. I have an amazing circle of supportive friends and a family who continuously encourages my drive to succeed.”
