We recently connected with Alissa Clark and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Alissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have always been a penny pincher and someone who viewed projects as something I could do myself rather than pay someone else to do it! When my husband and I first got married, we were on such a tight budget so I decorated our entire home from the thrift store! I upcycled and DIY’d my way through each room of our home!

Once I had a full-time teaching job, DIYing and crafting was still a favorite hobby and I loved losing myself in creating. Decor to adding extra rooms in our home to homemade Christmas gifts for others. Then after we had our 3rd baby, I realized that I wanted to stay at home with my kids. I began looking for a way to make extra money and tried a host of options but none fit me like furniture flipping!

I hadn’t really thought of doing this as a job until my best friend’s grandfather passed away. He had left her a beautiful cabinet but it was seriously old and broken. She was going to throw it out until I begged her to let me save it for her. I had painted several pieces for myself and knew that I could turn her cabinet into something she’d want. She agreed and then I guess you could say the rest is history! I found great joy in turning a family heirloom into something that she loved!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

While I have only been refinishing for about 3 years now, I have tried extremely hard to improve my craft! I’ve tried to break out of the box and do different techniques & styles, and I have even begun to build my own bases & cabinet doors for pieces!

I have learned from every single piece that I have refinished. I am so proud to say that I have just recently developed guides to help others do the same, but hopefully have way less mistakes than I have had! These guides have taken months to compose, but I am thrilled to be able to share them with others who may want to start this–or aspects of this business–and just aren’t confident on where to begin.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a furniture artist is creating something beautiful from something that was unwanted. Whether I buy the piece from someone just getting rid of it or pick it up off of the side of the road, I’m able to give something new life. I LOVE seeing my clients and buyers come to pick up their new creations and see their faces beaming with excitement. That is what I love most.

I also LOVE sharing with others how to start their own furniture flipping business or just showing someone how to paint their own piece that needs updating. Bringing others along on this journey with me is what I aim to do with every flip.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think that when it comes to furniture flipping, many don’t understand the creative process–along with the actual flipping process–that goes into each piece. We spend hours designing and changing that design as we try to improve each piece.

Some people think we just slap paint on a piece and send it on its way, when that couldn’t be further from the truth! We spend hours upon hours cleaning sanding, stripping, fixing, drilling, priming, painting, top coating, staging, and editing photos. We begin with an idea in mind, and then have an “Aha!” moment and completely switch gears, often taking way longer than we had thought the project would take us. We are meticulous and as much as we hate to admit it, are perfectionists. We spend hours pouring over a piece before we send it off to its new home.

There is definitely stress with each piece (unless it’s a unicorn) but the end result is worth it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.homegrovedesign.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/homegrovedesigns
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/homegrovefurnituredesign
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/homegrovedesigns