My journey to Etsy started over a year ago. I was at a restaurant on my own while I was waiting for my husband to finish an errand. I started thinking about finding really unique pieces of quality furnishings - things that had color, curves and interest. I love colorful patterns, but they sure are hard to find on good looking pieces of furniture. There are brands that offer this, but at prices that most of my clients (and I) have to take a big gulp in order to digest.
Old Mental Note: Probably a year prior to that, I had attended a Blogger Block Party event in NYC with another talented designer friend, Jessica Dunbar of Solicited Advice for You. We met a girl there who was visiting estate sales and reselling purchased items on Etsy. She said she was doing quite well with this business, and had been able to make it her full-time work. I was impressed. Stuck it in my back pocket.
During my solo time at the restaurant, where apparently good thinking was underway, I dusted off that old mental note from my back pocket, and estate sales came to mind. Why not use this method to find unique pieces that I could reupholster and make perfect for my clients. So, I started using estate sales as a resource. It provided me creativity with design on a smaller budget. It was a great compromise. It is important to me to make beautiful design available at many budget points.
You know what else it was though.....fun! It was so much fun. I loved doing it. I love the hunt, finding a good price, looking for the right fabric, getting a piece refinished, and seeing an amazing finished piece. A piece that would have found its way to the trash gets new life, someone else gets a great piece of furniture, and I make some extra money. It's a happy win-win all around. It is with love for this process, that I announce my foray into the Etsy universe with my store, named after my design business, Sharon Otto Interiors. I look forward to providing fun, interesting, and colorful quality furniture and home decor to those looking for something a little different at a price that works within their budget. I have started with some beautiful mid-century wooden pieces (amazing home staples) and am looking forward to adding more colorful items over the coming months. Please come on over to my Etsy page and favorite my shop to see what the future holds!