How We Got Started
Many people have asked, how did a Black American Family get started making pallet wood signs? Well, it all started by accident, well not really. Nothing in life happens by accident. As a Christian, I am fully confident that God's sovereign hand is at work in every aspect of life. Sometimes, we just don't realize it until it all comes together in the fullness of time.
So here is what happened: My husband and I are owner's of The Furniture Loft, a retail home furnishings and mattress store in Conyers, GA. We wanted to expand our business and decided to obtain warehouse space in order to distribute and streamline our retail operation. We found the PERFECT location. It was right around the corner from our store, the rent was reasonable and the Landlord was super gracious. We felt like we hit the lottery. The space had JUST went on the market and we snagged it two hours later. We paid the deposit, signed the lease and moved in. Just one little problem. Throughout all of the excitement, I forgot to apply for a business license. It never dawned on me that we needed one since we already had one for the store. Well, as it turns out, the county would not allow us to warehouse mattresses and upholstery in the new building because there is no sprinkler system or firewall to separate the office space from the warehouse space based on the square footage. It's an updated fire code rule that we simply were unable to get around. We were devastated. What in the heck were we going to do now? We have this facility, but can't use it as our furniture warehouse.
The Lord is so gracious to us. One morning, my husband comes to me with a brilliant idea. He is full of brilliant ideas so I was particularly excited to hear what he had to say. Robert made it clear, that giving up the space was not an option. We were in a lease and didn't want to just give up so easily. He said he had an idea.
Pallet wood signs.
He explained how we always have tons of pallet wood lying around that we never use. He also explained how it was time for the kids to have their own business. We are a homeschooling family, and have always incorporated real life experiences into our homeschool curriculum. We wanted the children to build a healthy relationship with work. Robert figured out a way to create pallet and wood panel signs using materials we already have. Since he is an artist, this was right up his ally. In addition to this, the kids are super talented and all of them can draw. They get that from Robert. I can draw a stick figure, but it still doesnt look like a stick figure. Robert then invested in a commercial vinyl cutter, some paint and put all of us to work. We created our first sign and it look amazing. It was professional and definitely sellable.
We decided to place a few of our creations on display at our furniture store just to see if customers would buy any. They were immediately a hit. Customers loved them and couldn’t get enough. The kids were so excited and become motivated to make mire and to design new signs. Before we knew it, a kidpreneur business was born. The kids loved the idea of earning their own money and loved picking up a new skill. Teaching them a healthy doctrine of work, helping them understand the benefits of earning their own money, and helping them to learn the basics of entrepreneurship are just some of the ways that Farmhouse signature Home has been a blessing to our family. We are excited to create meaningful artwork that allows us to honor God, beautify spaces, and inspires others. We pray that you too will enjoy our products for years to come.
