We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tamara Al-Haddad. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tamara below.

Tamara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I feel like I started just at the right time in my life. Upcycling and refinishing old furniture has been a passion of mine for many years, and turning this passion into a business has been my dream. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 that I decided the time had come. I am so blessed and thankful that I have been cancer free for the past two years, but an experience like that will change how you see life; it will change your priorities. Mine has become centered around my family, doing what I love, and not having regrets. I want to spend my life doing what I’m passionate about. Even though starting this business has been a dream of mine for a long time, I don’t think I would have been able to do it sooner; I didn’t have the confidence to put myself and my artwork out there and get through all the challenges that came with it. The experiences I’ve been through have given me the confidence and the strength to start this creative journey and never look back.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Hi! I’m Tamara Al-Haddad, the owner of Birds on a Wire Shop, a furniture refinishing and restyling business I run from home, created in 2020.

I’ve always been into Interior Design and DYI. After moving from Jordan to the US in 2007, I turned to creative projects as an outlet to help me with the transition; that’s when I came across chalk paint and started transforming furniture pieces around my house; it’s a great way to add a pop of color to your space. This became a passion that continued for years, hoping one day I could turn it into a business. It wasn’t until my cancer diagnosis in 2019 that I decided to make it happen. In 2020 after finishing treatment and being in complete remission, we were at the beginning of the pandemic, which gave me the perfect opportunity to start planning and actively working on this project. In August 2020, I created my Instagram page, Birds on a Wire Shop.

I also create original mixed-media artwork on canvas. However, most of my work is refinishing furniture. I use different finishes and painting styles, stencil patterns, wallpaper, metal leaf, and a lot of attention to detail, which I feel make my pieces unique. I like integrating various materials into my projects to create a one-of-a-kind piece, like using copper pipes to build a base for a cabinet. I feel most creative when upcycling old pieces of furniture into something completely different, turning an old sewing machine table into a desk or a bar cabinet, for example. I sell my pieces locally and do commission work, if someone has an old piece they want to refinish or restore I can work with them to create something they will love again.
I recently began selling on Etsy and offer shipping all over the US. I have been putting this off since I started because it is a big undertaking that I thought I was not ready for. I’m happy that I overcame my fear, and just last month, I sold my first piece on Etsy and successfully shipped it.

I am very proud of the progress I’ve made since I first started. I have learned so much and gained more confidence in what I do. I am most grateful for my family’s support. When you have a small business that you run from home, it turns into a family affair. My husband and two kids are very patient and supportive. They put up with the endless trips to garage sales on the weekends looking for furniture, they also help me with a lot of different things like social media, shipping, and photography, but most importantly, they give me honest feedback on the projects I work on.

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

Giving old furniture pieces new life is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do. Although most of the pieces I work on are old and outdated, and some are destined for the trash, they still have life left in them. I love finding new homes for these pieces because, with a bit of work, they can be restored to their former beauty and be used for many years.

Another rewarding aspect is sharing my work with people. Being creative and working with my hands brings me joy and helps me de-stress. Art is subjective, and I don’t expect everyone to love what I do, but when someone likes a piece I created and put so much effort and love into, it makes me very happy. I hope when someone buys one of my pieces to put in their home, they can see the love and passion that went into creating it.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

I’m running this business while working my regular job. Thankfully, I have a flexible schedule that allows me to do so, but I am hopeful I will be able to have this as my full-time career.

I’m at a stage in my life where I want to enjoy what I do every day, wake up excited to go to work, and above all, share that with the people I love. Now that my kids are growing up and on their path to finding what they want to do with their lives, they‘re watching me in my 40s start a whole new career, it’s scary but worth it. I hope they learn just as I did that you are never too old to do what you love and start something new. I hope they are inspired to seek what they are genuinely passionate about and pursue it, even if it takes them a long time. It’s more about the journey than the destination for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/birdsonawireshop
• Facebook: facebook.com/birdsonawireshop
• Other: www.etsy.com/shop/BirdsonawireshopUS