Several years ago I found myself working in a stressful job that was slowing weighing me down.  I was looking for ways to to keep my mind off of work in the late hours of the night and weekend but wasn't having much luck.  One day, for reasons that have long-ago escaped me, I found myself at a Goodwill. As I wandered through aisle, upon aisle of crap. I noticed a simple writing desk that for whatever reason, caught my eye.  It was nothing special, simple design, one drawer and painfully in need of some TLC.  

I’ve never considered myself to be a handy guy. For some reason this desk posed a simple challenge for me. I thought to myself; all this needs is some sanding, maybe some stain and definitely some fresh paint. Maybe my wife would like it and find a home for it? I checked the price tag, $11.99, for that price, I didn’t have much to lose. Sold!

Being the non-handy guy I was, of course I had to break this thing down to get it into my Hyundai Sonata and bring it home. However, at this point I was a semi-professional IKEA furniture builder, so this should be no problem. I unscrewed the legs, threw it into my trunk and was on my way. Little did I know, the next few days would light a fire inside of me I didn’t know existed.

I had the plan clearly in my head; sand and stain the top, paint the bottom portion and replace the hardware, piece of cake. I did a quick checklist of of things I needed for the job. Sand paper, a palm sander, stain, paint and hardware…so pretty much everything. I checked what tools I had on hand in the garage; a hammer, some screws, a philips screw diver and a flathead. Needless to say, it was not my proudest man-moment. So off I went to the hardware store to stock up.

Two days later, I had my finished piece. Freshly sanded top exposing a beautiful grain, a walnut stain that made the grain pop, fresh paint and new hardware. I must say, I was kinda proud of myself…

My wife liked it too. We searched for a place to put it in the house but couldn’t find the right spot. Knowing if we didn’t keep it, maybe I can sell it online? Would someone buy it? Is it good enough? I finally said screw it! If it sells, cool and if not, that’s cool too.

I slapped it online and within 20 minutes, I was getting emails asking if it was available. I had a woman eagerly wanting to see it. I knew she liked it because the used the phrase “super cute” more than a few times. She sheepishly asked if I’d accepted $75 for the desk. The only word I could muster was “Sold!” And just like that, I was hooked.

That desk lead to dozens of other pieces of furniture I flipped. That led to building furniture, which led to making home décor, which led to wine décor, cutting boards and ultimately the Whisky and Cigar décor I make today. I still enjoy making other things, but the demand for the Whisky and Cigar is by far the greatest…and the most fun to make.

One thing I did notice in this journey, when I was refurbishing or building things, I was a million miles away from day-to-day stressors. I enjoyed the process and its slowly become the business it is today. This little hobby has led to a full working wood shop, website, international sales and relationships with large merchants like Highland Yard Vintage Market in Chandler, AZ.

Who knows where this crazy adventure will take us next. If you’re reading this, you’ve taken interest in my work, and I am humbled and grateful for that. If you’ve purchased any of our products, I hope whatever it is makes you smile and you truly get to enjoy whatever it is you bought. Because truthfully, I enjoyed making it.

Thank you for reading!