We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Baum a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Victoria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea.
Well it all started when I lost my job as a collision production manager. It was during the Covid crisis and while I thought of applying elsewhere my heart & soul were tired. It’s a tough business and when I started I was a strong and positive person but the happiness was being drawn out of me. I thought to myself is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life ? Hearing from many others, in my industry, who had wished they’d pursed another path sooner but stayed because they had invested so many years. I was at an advantage, I was much younger than most management and had only been in the business for 8 years. I thought of ways I could be my own boss, be creative, and truly enjoy waking up going into work everyday. With my love for dogs I applied to wag to pick up some dog walks and sittings, it was a nice change in pace only having to deal with dogs on a daily basis but I felt I could do more leaning towards my artistic side which truly makes me happy. Seeing others on social media refurbishing furniture I thought this could be fun. I can work from home, I have artistic talents, I’m creative and I could be my own boss with endless potential to grow as big as I wanted to. I started doing research on techniques, materials needed, and how to turn this hobby into a full time career. Then a name, I wanted something original something that would look good on marketing items but didn’t want it to include my name, I wanted a brand. Oak, a type of wood which most furniture is made from and living in the low country we are surrounded by beautiful oak trees. I also wanted my love for dogs included, so the fur came in. Although spelled differently it sounded the same as another type of wood in a fir tree. I played around with many different fonts once again wanting it to be aesthetically pleasing as well. What’s next ? I have an idea, I have a name, and I’ve developed a rough plan on how to start this new journey. I don’t have the biggest space to work or a large commercial vehicle to transport items but I can work with what I have. I spoke with my mom about this idea after many hours of research. I felt confident I could answer any question she may have about this drastic change in career, she loved the idea and agreed to support me. We set up a time, 3 months, I had 3 months to prove that this idea could be a reality and from there I started. It’s just me with this blank canvas, no inventory, no materials and no experience but I had confidence in myself. I found my first piece while searching on marketplace, I started small with a 2 drawer chest I purchased locally. The next step, walking into Lowes with a long list of materials and tools I would need but hadn’t yet used. Leaning on my knowledge in the automotive collision industry I understood the repair process: tear down, repair, prep for paint, refinish, rebuild, and QC. Obviously cars are metal and aluminum while furniture is wood but I stuck with the same process. Take off any hardware, drawers, and cabinet doors. Next assess what is damaged and what materials I would need, fixing with wood glue or bondo. Now prep for paint by sanding the piece down to the natural wood followed by a good clean up and then it’s off to priming. Priming is one of the most important steps to ensure a smooth finish when it’s time to add paint. Sanding in between each coat of primer to get rid of any imperfections. Time to add the color which is the biggest transformation when refurbishing furniture, a scuff in between each coat to allow for a smooth finish before adding your top coat. After looking over everything for any imperfection off to staging and photographing.
I’ve learned that staging and photographing are
a HUGE part of the sale. Just think of how you look at reviews for a restaurant, although we read them we are drawn to the high quality photos that represent their food best. It doesn’t stop after photographing, I now have to edit and go back and rearrange props and lighting. Once I have the photos I think are best I watermark them and send them out into the world of social media. Creating content to grow my following and show people all the hard work I put into every piece. My first piece sold within a few days and it gave me such joy to create something people not only liked they would pay me for it.
I’ve created my business to provide stylish furniture most people want but can’t get. Great quality furniture is getting harder to find, so many companies are using shortcuts with cheaper materials. I seek out only well made furniture that needs a new updated, upgrade in style and I feel I have started to see my business flourish.
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?
My name is Victoria Baum & I launched my business Oak & Fur in November of 2021. I came from a background of the automotive collision industry. My new business was built using my knowledge of repair methods, color palettes and my keen eye for imperfections. I paired these strong attributes with my artistic abilities to refurbish furniture. I provide a few different services for potential customers: I offer a selection of one of a kind pieces that have already been completely refurbished by me. I have an inventory of great quality used pieces that can be customized to fit their style. I will also refurbish a piece that they already own, or source certain pieces for my clients to customize to fit the style of their home. I mainly focus on dressers, nightstands, and side boards but will source any piece a client wants for their home. These range of services makes Oak & Fur unique because I include their pieces not just my custom designed pieces. Most people have ideas of what they’d like and I do my best to help transform their ideas with my vision into a cohesive creation that they’ll love in their home for years to come. Another service I provide is local and nationwide delivery to assist my clients with getting their refurbished piece into their home. I am very proud of every piece I refurbish, many hours go into each piece to ensure a high quality finish and a piece that will last many years for you to cherish. Refurbishing saves furniture from being discarded into landfills and it is absolutely better quality than what we see being manufactured today. I share my process on social media for clients and potential clients to see just how much goes into every piece I refurbish. I include them by asking their opinion on colors, hardware, accent choices or whatever I can. Feedback is so important in gauging the interest in my vision and work. I want my followers to enjoy and be a part of my journey of growing Oak & Fur whether they are potential clients, current clients, or just a fan of my work.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Staying true to myself and show casing my passion in the work I do on every piece I create. I’m a hard working, people pleasing, perfectionist and my furniture has my stamp of approval on it. I feel that small details make the biggest difference when selling a piece. My clients get to choose a scent to refresh the dresser, a goodie bag that includes touch up paint, business card, care instruction for their piece, custom koozies, and an about me card with additional information on all my services I provide. I also attend local markets to introduce myself and show my work in person. Exposure is important and people like meeting the face behind the artist. When you see my work in person they can really see just how much love and hard work I put into my pieces. No matter what avenue you are pursuing stay true to yourself, know your worth, and do what makes you happy!
How did you build your audience on social media?
Starting your presence on social media can definitely be intimidating but just be yourself and stick to your niche. Staying true to what you are selling and services you are providing will draw the correct followers who are actually interested in what you are putting out there. I recommend you start following others that inspire you, that sell products like yours or provided similar services, gather ideas from what they do and make it them your own. Start practicing making reels, save them as drafts until you get comfortable enough with how it works. Ask your followers what they want to see more or less of. I make reels of the long hours of the work I did that day & turn them into quick clips of my day to keep them engaged on my page. Add some trendy music or monologues for fun ! Don’t get caught up in the need for X amount of followers to make it, start out slow knowing you are building a true following that care about your niche and watch it grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: Linktr.ee/the.oakandfur
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakandfur/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/the.oakandfur