We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adrienne Romine. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Adrienne below.

Alright, Adrienne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

While pregnant with my son in 2021, I knew the moment would come when I would get to utilize my craft for my little one’s ever-growing creativity. I imagined building treehouses and bunk beds for him as he got older, but I didn’t realize is how soon this process would begin.

As my son turned 6 months old and became increasingly mobile, I spent hours scouring the internet and social media for a play gym that met our needs. Living in a small space with little ones means that your kitchen, dining room, and living room become your child’s playroom. We needed a product to be multi-functional for our kiddo and to fit within our design taste.

I knew exactly what I was looking for: something to climb on, crawl through, and fidget with, but I couldn’t find anything that checked all the boxes.

So, one weekend I went into my shop and built a table that did it all for my son.

My only goal was to meet his growing needs and make him smile. But when my husband posted a photo of it on his Instagram, so many of our friends with kids chimed in “I want one!” or “You should sell these!” and thus the idea was planted to start Progeny Forthcoming.

After a round of prototyping with our design team, my original table was transformed into the play table you see on our website.

Adrienne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When people ask how I got into woodworking, I always say “slowly and painfully” because it was a very meandering path. After graduating with my BFA in painting from the University of Central Florida, I worked as a window display artist for Anthropologie. It was there that I discovered my love for working in 3D and the joy of power tools. After some time, I became dissatisfied with retail; I wanted work with more depth and longevity. Furniture making seemed like a natural next step from there. Without knowing what I was getting into, I bought a bunch of used tools from craigslist and occupied the shed behind my brothers house and began to tinker. I was understandably terrible but I slowly built my skills with youtube videos, books and weekend classes until I could weasel my way into a job in a professional woodshop. It was there that I really started to hone my craft as a woodworker and furniture designer. I worked in custom shops for 4 years before moving to Austin, TX and eventually starting my own studio (HALF HALT) in 2018, six years after my first dream of building furniture. In 2022, I launched my second business, Progeny Forthcoming, after being inspired by the necessities of new parenthood.

At the end of the day, we make play furniture for parents like us who:

-delight in the handmade

-value thoughtful design

-curate their home intentionally

-want to meet their children’s needs in a developmentally appropriate way

-find joy in the quiet moments watching their children explore

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Well, I already own a small furniture studio with its own goals, challenges and daily curveballs. I had no intention of starting a second business. However, when my husband posted photos of the play table that I made for my son on his Instagram, I couldn’t ignore the chorus of “I want one!” and “You should sell these!” coming from our friends and family. However, it didn’t seem to fit with the ethos of my first business (HALF HALT) and warranted its own brand identity. And here we are! Launching in a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Proposals for the Feminine Economy by Jennifer Armbrust

She proposes the idea of business as art and wrestles with this central question “Can I survive on my own terms, with my personal & creative integrity intact?”

It’s not your typical business book but it’s holistic and transformative and I can’t recommend it enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.progenyforthcoming.com and www.halfhaltstudio.com
• Instagram: @progenyforthcoming and @halfhalstudio

Image Credits
Leonid Furmansky (only for the two photos in the wood shop)