Twelve years ago, I had an in-the-moment idea of starting a furniture line with the quality I struggled to find in the marketplace. Fed up with yet another delivery of mass-produced furniture that contained more damage than value, I told my assistant: “Enough junk! Great photography and branding make mass-produced furniture look high-end. I am going to start a furniture line, and it will be innately better in every way.” Wow! I had no idea the depth of the idea I put into motion.
I believe in the power of manifestation, and one of my best examples is being contacted by a furniture manufacturer shortly after stating my mission to change the furniture industry. I will never forget the call asking me to design new furniture items for the company. I immediately replied, “How many pieces?” I completed thirty-three furniture designs within two weeks and submitted a book of hand-sketched designs for consideration. The collaboration began and ended quickly when I realized the seven-layer paint finish is not easy to touch up and is toxic, nonetheless, when I broke out in hives trying to touch up a scratch on a bed I designed.
My first photoshoots with these pieces were in nature—on the beach, under redwood trees, and wearing dresses with my grandmother’s jewelry. I was fascinated with the concept of telling a story through images versus words. If my goal is to produce a quality product with natural materials, let the images express the contrast of indoor products outside in the setting I wish to protect. Why dresses and jewelry? Well, it helps glamourize the concept and shows respect for taking time to dress it up and include my past—grandmothers through heirlooms left to me. Problem: if the furniture finish is toxic, how can I promote it as being natural?
Photos tell a story; they validate a moment in time and also deceive. Fed up with mass marketing, I set in motion a circular process to ensure my product tells a sincere story. Twelve years later, I have a product line that is non-toxic and hand versus machine-made in the U.S. The first attempt to create the line redefined the importance of my goal, and what better way to share it than with my authentic story? As my line is ready to launch with a handful of collaborations offering a truly sustainable product, let the photoshoots begin.
Turning fifty this summer, the idea of putting myself out there is a lot different than how I felt at thirty-eight in front of a camera. It’s a deeper connection to my mission. As the furniture market is flooded with mass-produced items, I want to stand out in an industry that lacks personalization and messaging on the importance of our purchases and reducing waste.
Lights, camera, and shoot the importance of each of our roles in mindful consumption and recognizing individual impact on the environment. My home, projects, and family are the best examples of what I want to teach about connecting to our spaces and leaving a legacy. A custom product is a means for each of us to connect to our purchases. If an image tells a truthful story, let’s capture a lot of moments that I hope shift the way we think about consumption, waste, home curation, and human connection through what we own and leave behind. Before you know it, life passes in a flash. Let’s leave it a better place.