We were lucky to catch up with Lee Harwell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I would have to say that this mission has it’s roots over 30 years ago. That is when I had the good fortune to experience a Carre chair for the first time. There were actually 2 of the large cantilever rockers, given as a gift from a special person. I enjoyed the chairs and their extreme comfort always. I didn’t give them much more thought than that until 2020. When COVID hit, I decided to get our chairs powder coated. That is when I began researching the chairs and their rich history. Having an engineering background, I also began to analyze how to take them apart and re-assemble them.
Those little steps have grown into a small business. The company being; Vintage Metal Rockers,LLC. The business is focused on Carre chair restoration with replacement parts. Ultimately, I want everyone to have an opportunity to experience the astonishing comfort of a Carre chair!

Lee, 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?

The journey to Vintage Metal Rockers, LLC has been filled with many twists and turns. While I have enjoyed building things since a very early age, the foundation for my formal entry into manufacturing began at Berry College in Rome, GA. I received a B.S in Industrial Education in 1979. From there, I gained experience in several industries including heat treating, injection molding, HVAC and tool & die. In actuality, tool & die was my career focus for many years. Interestingly, this mosaic of experiences equipped me with the skill set needed to restore these beautiful chairs! I am most proud of being able to perform the restorations using the same techniques that were used in the original manufacture. This allows me to restore the chairs so that they look and feel as they did a century ago.

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

That is an easy one, it is the WOW factor. To a person, 9 out of 10 people that sit in one of my chairs just say “Wow”! To be able to re-introduce people to the way the chairs are supposed to feel is tremendously rewarding.

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

I believe that the creative process can, at times, be very frustrating for non creatives. There are times when creative endeavors may run afoul of conventional thoughts. This seems to be most evident when testing new ideas. For example, i may decide to change or mirror a process that I am already comfortable with, just to see what happens. Being a creative person generally means that you ask “what if” or “why” many times a day.

Contact Info:

• Website: vintagemetalrockers.com
• Instagram: vintage_metal_rockers
• Facebook: Vintage Metal Rockers