Furniture Branding

W + C on Vintage Leather

b y - Selena Cate

It's been quite a learning curve to have a business partner for the first time ever. I'm an Aries and pretty independent although Timothy might add the word stubborn onto that which I won't disagree with. I tend to know what I like and what I want when it comes to furniture restoration and design. Working with him has made me realize that two minds coming together means twice as much creativity even if I'm not always right. Yet I often come around to his thinking. And he often comes around to mine.

There are two creative couples that have inspired me for the last decade.  Charles & Ray Eames and Evelyn & Jerome Ackerman. Both are incredibly creative couples, both followed their passion for of art and design. Up until this summer I've been building this antique business by myself. I would load and unload furniture, restore furniture and buy at the weekends, all on my own. When my father would come to stay with me a few times a year he would help me but for the most part it was just me. I love every stitch of this business so I never complained about doing it by myself. Yet a part of me would read about Evelyn and Jerome and an inner wish would be to have another half to share this world with.

My wish was granted last April when I reconnected with Timothy. Although we've been friends since 2009, we really didn't know too much about each other. We had no idea that we had so much in common. It all changed when I posted a photo of a beautiful Olivetti typewriter. Timothy commented and we realized how much we love vintage and design.

A few months later we were working side by side creating Whitcomb + Cate. Sometimes it felt unreal to go from working alone to working with someone seven days a week. But the good kind where I would pinch myself to make sure it was real.

Here is a video of the Ackermans

The Ackermans - A Marriage of Craft and Design from Noah Clark - Station 22 on Vimeo.

Working with another person every day offers many lessons and for each one I am grateful. Even if I don't always immediately realize it. It's been a blessing to create, design, explore the world of antiques and of course search for items to buy every week with Timothy. When there is a disagreement I think back to Jerome and Evelyn and know that they too would probably have different opinions from time to time. It's what makes people grow and how we learn. I want to be pushed and provoked because it makes me think differently. It helps me look at a piece of furniture from another angle. I am so thankful to have such an incredibly gifted partner to work with every day.

The top photo is how we currently brand our furniture. He and I have talked about different ways to leave our mark on our handcrafted HappenWood Furniture. Timothy is keen to actually brand our W+C into the wood. We also have played around with a metal stamp plate. For now we are using 40 year old leather (that we picked up at an estate sale) and I'm hand stitching our brand with cotton thread. This may change in time but who knows....maybe one day this will be a sign of our "early work". We tack on each one with small brass nails.

I kind of like the handmade touch to our pieces. What do you think?

Comments

[John]

I love anything to do with Eames. Have you seen the video where they are introducing a new chair on tv? Amazing.

[Susan]

What a sweet video. How wonderful that you found a parter to share your life's work with. I'm an Aries too so I understand about being in control, but it's good to see things thru someone else's eyes now and then. Good luck with your partnership. And maybe there will be a video out one day, many years from now, about you and Timothy.