How Perseverance Helped Nancy Saavedra Turn Her Dreams to Reality

While a lot of us tend to dream, only a few of us have the passion and drive to achieve those dreams. It takes inspiration, determination, and even a little aggression to make sure you do everything you can to reach your goals. That’s exactly what we can learn from Nancy Saavedra, the CEO and Co-Founder of Art Boulle.

About Art Boulle

Art Boulle is a luxury brand that specializes in ornamental and artisanal metalwork and woodwork. Art Boulle draws its inspiration from Andre-Charles Boulle, the artist to the crown of Louis XIV. Art Boulle’s corporate head office and studio are currently located in Toronto, but their works have come to adorn luxury homes all over the world.

Art Boulle showcases a variety of ornamental metalwork and woodwork pieces exclusively hand-crafted by the company’s skilled artisans in their state-of-the-art facilities located in Ecuador. They take pride in their one-of-a-kind meticulous craft, which Art Boulle aims to revive in a modern setting. Along with exhibiting exquisite pieces, the company also offers bespoke interior designing services for clients who want to take their decor to a whole new level.

Nancy’s Background

Nancy was born in Cuenca, Ecuador. She moved to Canada at the age of 5, where she lived for most of her life with her immigrant parents. In Canada, Nancy pursued an education in Business Management. She went back to Ecuador on vacation when she was 17, and fell in love with both the people and the Ecuadorian architectural design. It was during this trip that she met the love of her life, her now-husband.

Nancy got married and settled in Cuenca, where she lived for another 18 years. Moving back to Ecuador was probably the pivotal moment of her journey as a designer, and shaped her understanding of Ecuadorian craft through the Cathedrals, Colonial buildings, and cobblestone streets.

Her Journey      

During the 18 years, she lived in Cuenca, her love and appreciation for Ecuadorian design continued to bud and later came to be a passion.

However, this passion turned into a reality once Nancy discovered Mireya Dalmau. Mireya is a famous interior designer and entrepreneur who raised her empire from scratch in Ecuador. Nancy was inspired by her journey and her work. She did everything she could and finally got in touch with Mireya and met with her. Mireya later turned into Nancy’s mentor and through her help, Nancy polished her understanding of design and the business related to it.

Nancy always dreamed of showcasing the captivating Ecuadorian craft to the world which she had now come to love. And finally, after years of planning, Nancy and Mireya partnered to bring Ecuadorian Craftmanship to the Canadian market. To fully pursue her dreams, Nancy and her family left Ecuador and moved back to Canada, where later she and her husband co-founded Art Boulle.

Among her many accomplishments, Nancy was recognized as one of Toronto’s most influential designers of 2020 in Living Luxe Magazine. Today, her company’s crafts can be seen all over the world. Including known cities like Toronto, New York, Milan, London, and even Dubai.

In her free time, Nancy likes to spend time with her family- her husband and two kids.

Nancy’s journey has taught her lessons in self-confidence and perseverance, which she continues to carry into her life ahead. She has learned that more than anyone else, it is important that you have faith in your ideas. It’s the only way you’ll achieve what you wish for. People might not always be there for you, but it won’t matter as long as you believe in yourself.