New business a Komfortabel dream come true
David Fischer’s decision to open a new business in Jasper was compelled by his mother, Mary Blandford, passing away last October.
With her passing, he decided life was too short for him to not pursue his lifelong dream.
“Without that happening, I don’t know that I would be open now,” David said about the transition to opening the new store in Jasper a few weeks ago.
Last year, the former first-grade teacher moved back to the area where he grew up and began searching for a location for his dream business.
According to David, he has always loved this area. His extensive family lives in Dubois, Perry, Spencer and Warrick counties.
“I’ve always had extended family here that I am really, really drawn to,” David said. “I just love this area. This is where I want to retire; despite the humidity,” he laughed.
David then began to explore the area to find a location for his business. At the same time, he was mulling over what to call the new home decor business he had planned.
“I really believe the home needs to be comfortable otherwise it is just a house,” he explained. “And, I think you can do that in a sophisticated kinda way.”
Centered around the concept of comfort and drawing upon his heritage as well as the area’s, he tested the German word for comfortable; komfortabel.
It fit; Komfortabel Haus was born.
The pieces began to fall into place. He found a location in the Southgate Shopping Center, and then David headed out for market. He took a van and road-tripped to Atlanta visiting antique stores along the way, filling the van full of original pieces to accent what he found at the show.
“My style is eclectic so I think that first and foremost I wanted to have a broad selection,” he said about the many items found in his shop.
“I like to mix. I like to mix old with new or modern with an old vintage look,” he explained pointing out a distressed table top flanked by modern leather chairs.
Through the new store, items range from new pieces fresh from the distributors to antique or unique one of a kind items. Customers will have a hard time finding an item they purchase in another home as David doesn’t plan on carrying many copies of the same item. The store’s inventory of sophisticated home furnishings that includes tableware, wall art, mirrors, bedding, bath accessories, lighting, and furniture will likely be constantly changing.
Since opening, he has been somewhat surprised by requests from customers for him to assist in decorating their homes. But as a testament to his ability to create space, the store’s decor is inviting in spite of its elegance. So with the store’s offering, David offers personal consulting outside of the open hours of the store.
David credits his decorating ability with the 14 homes he has moved into in his adult life. “I have always had a knack for it, but I don’t know what the big deal is, I just do it,” he jokes.
But as he moved and decorated his new homes, new friends would inevitably stop in and ask him to help them with their homes.
“I like the challenge of finding the right piece for a customer’s home,” he said. “I like when someone says ‘I’ve got this corner, and it’s this wide and well, what would you do?'”
A recent customer has returned pieces several times in attempts to find the final touch for a certain corner in his home.
“A lot of stores operate like if you buy it, you keep it, but that’s not my philosophy,” he said. “If you don’t like it, bring it back and if you don’t see anything you like, then you can move on. If I can help you find something else, then that is what we will do.”
David credits his extensive family with helping him to realize his dream.
David opened up in the Southgate Shopping Center west of U.S. 231. The store’s extended hours are Tuesdays through Fridays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fans can follow the business on Facebook and online at www.KomfortabelHaus.com.
