We were lucky to catch up with Robin Karr recently and have shared our conversation below.

Robin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

Some projects really put your skills to the test. When tasked with creating a custom cabinet and hostess stand for a local restaurant, Rusty Bellies, we knew that we needed to make something truly special for them. Our dear friends there said “Make a cabinet” trusting our creativity and vision to make something inspired. I struggled with such a loose project brief, and finally went and sat at the restaurant to take in the atmosphere. I just wanted to build them something really special, because they are so very precious to us and we wanted them to know how much we care. I took lots of pictures of the space where the cabinet would be going, and just sat and pondered, waiting for inspiration to strike. It took me weeks of looking at those pictures, but I wasn’t going to start the project until I could see it in my head and felt confident in where I was going. Then, I noticed the wallpaper. It has this beautiful wave print, and the inspiration hit! Waves! I had these stunning curved locally grown camphor wood boards, and suddenly I could just see the cabinet in my mind, with beautiful wood waves and a deep ocean blue epoxy. I didn’t want it to look like a charcuterie board ocean pour, but something really unique. With my experience with resin, I had an idea for how we could do things different. It was a risk- I didn’t know if it would work, but knowing what I did, my gut told me I could pull it off. We were in a time crunch, and we finished it just in the nick of time. It turned out even better than I had hoped. Having the basis of past success (and quite a few failures) meant we were able to push ourselves, take risks, and have them pay off with end results that impress even us.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have a warehouse full of treasures! From antiques and architectural salvage to custom made tables, we believe in preserving, repurposing, and rebuilding the past. Of course, I didn’t always have a treasure trove of authentic nautical items, antique hardware, vintage toys, old doors and windows, and unique and eclectic one-of-a-kind decor items.

At 53, my bratty little kids had grown up and left me and I was feeling so lost. I prayed and prayed for a passion for my life. After being a stay at home mom for so long raising my 3 beautiful and successful children, I just wanted to build and create something for myself.

It was not an easy journey. We started with nothing- we were pulling wood out of the trash, the scraps and leftovers that other carpenters were throwing away, and figuring out how to use it to make something unique. We got barn wood and salvaged wood, and using nothing but a 6″ sander and a chop saw, we figured it out. I had a undeniable support structure in my husband and community that helped me keep going, and sometimes it seemed like all was lost. We faced floods, setbacks, and more. But with faith, perseverance, and the love of my friends and family, I was able to get to where I am today.

We now have almost 7,000 square feet of custom wood tables (all American wood- no imports), salvaged wood and live edge boards, vintage and antique treasures, local artwork, and a surprise tucked in every corner. We encourage our guests to open things, look inside, behind, and underneath everything. And not to forget to look up!

Every item in our shop tells a story, even if we don’t know the specifics. Every door has been opened and closed by little hands looking for their mother. Every window has been stared out of by a daydreaming woman. There are tools used by craftsmen who made things “the hard way” with calloused hands and no air conditioning. There are oil head lamps that were used by miners, special items passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter, typewriters used by women who had just entered the workforce, ships binnacles that helped sailors find their way home, and so much more. We can feel the history, the experiences, the struggles, the joy, and the impact each of these items made on the lives of those who used them in the past, and it brings us such peace to know that they are finding life and purpose again.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

We build custom tables and furniture, and it has been a journey. I had no education or experience building tables- everything I learned was learned through risk, trial and error, and by working with others who were kind enough to share their skills with me.

The biggest thing I learned was that taking a risk is always worth it. If it works out, then perfect! If it doesn’t, then you have gained the experience and the knowledge, making you better for the next time. We have made a lot of mistakes along the way, and each one has helped us to hone our craft and develop our skills. Now, when we take risks, they are educated risks, with the basis of understanding of how things have worked in the past.

So my advice is if you want to do it, do it. Get started now. Take the risks, make the mistakes, and learn and get better. One day you will look down at something you have created, and it will take your breath away, and there is no better feeling of accomplishment that exists in the world than one based in hard work.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I had been working out of a storage space and had just opened a little retail shop to hold my treasures. I still had most of my wood in the storage space, and it was packed so full of stuff that I would have to climb over things just to shut the door.

It was the week of my birthday, and I was planning a trip to the beach with my best friends to celebrate. I then got the call that my storage space was flooded.

I remember standing there in my rubber boots, with the water lapping the tops of them, terrified of snakes, and just so depressed, staring at the work that lay ahead of me. I thought about giving up. But I’m tougher than that.

My friends took my birthday trip without me, and I spent that time moving wood, looking for a new space, and making plans to keep my business alive and moving forward. Running your own business is hard- there is always something unexpected happening, so many obstacles to overcome. When I look at where I am now, I am so glad that I didn’t let this defeat me.

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