I'm very excited to launch the first blog post in our series called "Featured Maker." February's Featured Maker is Sarah from Brklyn Home. We currently sell a few of her baskets and hope to add more soon. Each month we will be featuring a different maker to learn more about them and their business. Our goal is to introduce you to a new small business that you will love (like we do!) Please go check out Brklyn Home and enjoy our Q & A with Sarah.
Q & A
--Tell us about yourself and your business.
Hi, my name is Sarah Brasher, I have a small home decor business that
makes functional baskets and a few other home goods items. I consider
myself a minimalist and a person who loves to put things away and tidy up.
I love to sew, build and create. Each basket is designed and handmade by
me.
--How long have you been making your products and how did you get
started?
I started almost 2 years ago when I wanted to make a beach bag
for a vacation that I was going on. I ordered some clothes line cord off of
amazon and began to sew away. About half way through the project my
sewing machine jammed. After several attempts of me taking it apart and
trying to fix it myself with YouTube videos, I finally decided that I had to
take it into a real mechanic. I left for my vacation and came home to a half
made beach bag. Long story short I kept going with it, finished the bag and
thought I would try a basket for all of my kids toys. And that is were it all
began. Over the 2 years I have upgraded from clothes line to a wonderful
100% organic cotton cord that is not only made in the US but the company
also sources all of their cotton in the US.
--What is your favorite part of the creative process? Least favorite?
I love coming up with new ideas and trying out new styles. My latest collection of
Knob baskets I am pretty stoked about. Just figuring out how to attach the
wooden knob so tightly was very exciting for me LOL. Like I said, I am a
builder by nature so that kind of thing is right up my ally. My least favorite it
making very large baskets. While I LOVE to use my large baskets, making
them is a different story. My arm gets very tired holding that basket as it
goes round and round.
--From where do you draw your inspiration to create your products?
I love nature but also symmetry. I am very inspired by Bauhaus design and
functional art. I like to think of my baskets as functional art. I feel very
connected to the earth but I really love clean lines and minimal style so I try
to meld it into one.
--What values does your business embody?
Brklyn Home believes in sustainability. Organization that allows us to have peace in our homes without chaos.
--Is your business a full time or part time venture? Do you have plans to grow/
expand?
Right now it’s almost full time. I say almost because I still have a
little one at home with me during the day so I work as much as I can when I
can while still being able to spend quality time with my daughter. I would
love to grow Brklyn Home into a lifestyle brand. I just launched some
pillows and lampshades which I am very excited about and would love to
offer table linens, furniture and so much more! I have always had a dream
of creating a lifestyle brand that centers around a healthy, minimalist
lifestyle that values quality or quantity.
--There are many challenging that come along with running a small business. What is your biggest challenge and what is your biggest reward or success?
I would have to say marketing is my biggest challenge. Spending the time
to get my product out there and knowing when to go all in and when to wait
it out. My biggest reward is meeting with people who are at the craft fairs
and trade shows. Its so wonderful to get feedback and know what people
are liking and not liking. Its such a great feeling when someone loves
something that I have created. Something that can serve a purpose in their
home.
--How do you spend your time when you aren’t creating?
I love health and fitness so I enjoy long walks and burning up a sweat. I also LOVE taking warm vacations with my family and spending time at home.
--Salt and Branch sells only a few of your products. Where can people go to
find more of your products?
They can find me at brklynhome.com or my Instagram feed @brklynhome
--Is there anything I didn’t ask that you would like readers to know?
I have had a few businesses in the past. Ones that did not make it but I don’t
consider them failures because I have learned something from each
experience. I love what I am doing and love that people let me be a part of
their homes!
Thank you Sarah! Please check out brklynhome :)
Shop handmade. Shop small.
-- all pictures courtesy of brklynhome.com