Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominic Stephens.
Hi Dominic, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I formed an interest in building in high school when I started my first job renovating houses with my family. This is where I learned how fulfilling it was to create something to be used by others. In addition to being somewhat handy, I’ve always looked at myself as a creative but struggled to find the best outlet for me to express myself. When I bought my first home at 22, predicably it was a fixer upper. Having some experience, I looked to update my home myself but when it came to furnishing, I could never find the things that I liked within my budget. Coming from a family that’s not afraid to get our hands dirty, I looked to make my own furnishings. I quickly turned my garage into a full workshop with every tool a novice builder would need. In between my full-time job as a technology consultant, I would be a part-time carpenter. Before I knew it, I was having a good time making furniture.
After a year or so of working on that house, I moved out to and purchased a studio condo with my girlfriend (now wife). This meant that I needed more furniture. At that time, I was renting out my old home but was able to keep the garage as my workshop. I quickly whipped up a new platform bed, modern coffee table, desk, closet system and so much more. Unfortunately, about six months after the move, my old home was broken into, and all my tools were stolen. Weeks later, I learned the amazing news that I was going to be a father. That news plus my lack of tools caused me to put to hobby on hold.
Three years past and after three house moves, we settled into our new home in Marietta, GA. We got a great deal on yet another fixer upper. My wife (Who HATES fixer uppers) was glad to know that most of the house was in perfect shape, except for the unfinished basement. Surprisingly it didn’t take too much convincing for her to let me turn the basement into my workshop. Over the next year, I would repurchase all my old tools I had once owned. Rather than spend the money from my 9-5 for these tools, I would take on small projects and builds to finance this endeavor. My plan was to build a couple of things that I thought people would like, show them on Instagram and then see if people liked them. My hope was that if they liked them enough, they would put in an order.
I think the first item that made some real noise was a Bluetooth speaker that I called the “Sneaker Speaker”. I was listening to music while working and my Bluetooth speaker went out. I started to look for a new one online and then I thought it would be cool to make my own. I did some research on speakers, amps, ohms, etc. and after I thought that I had a good grasp of the concept, I started building. My plan was to make the casing of the speaker look just like a Nike sneaker box. Since I was a little kid, I’ve always loved sneakers and I know a lot of people who love them as well so it seemed perfect. I built a prototype to make sure that I could really pull it off and I’ve been pulling in orders for all kinds of things ever since. A lot of my build are streetwear/hype based while the others are modern chic. Some builds, I intertwine them both. My current business is comprised of modern desks, clocks, entertainment centers, dressers, wall-mounted arcade machines, jewelry boxes, event props and many more.
Currently, I am still working off of custom orders and leads that I get through friends, family and social media but within the next couple of weeks, I will be opening my Etsy store and soon after launching my website!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No, I wouldn’t say that I’ve had a smooth road. I think the main the hump that I had to get over was back in 2016 when my home was broken into and all my tools we stolen. As stated before, I started out working out of my garage. Soon after, I moved into a condo and then rented out that home. In 2016, I listed the house to be sold and before we closed the deal the house was broken into, and all of my tools were stolen.
Another big hurdle that I ran into after that was not having anywhere for me to set up a new shop. I went from living in a studio to two apartments all before we moved into the house we now live in. Thankfully this place has a sizable unfinished basement for me to set up again.
The 3rd hurdle, I think is more self-inflicted than anything. I think that it took a while for me to build up the confidence to market and sell some of the things I make. I’ve received amazing feedback from all who see my builds but I think it took me believing in myself to get me where I am today. Don’t get me wrong I’m not yet a flawlessly thriving business but I now see the road to success and I’ve eager to move toward that.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My business is named “ALT Builds”, short for Alternative Build. I named it that because I look to put a unique spin on everything I do, the alternative to the norm.
I take on all types of projects from wedding décor to custom furniture. As for original pieces that I create on my own, there are two sides to my builds. One side is modern, and the other side is more of a streetwear/urban-inspired genre with a hint of technology. This is where I think I set myself apart from other builders.
While Modern is a staple in furniture design, my modern builds are not the norm. If you put in an order for something modern, instead of a normal walnut sofa table, you can expect a geometric table with four different species of wood integrated into something that you’ve never seen before with the matching clock. Or you may get a custom bath caddy with a carved geometric pattern and trays for your phone and of course your wine.
The main bulk of my business however resides in the other realm I spoke of before. I think this niche is was sets me apart from others. I know that I represent a generation of consumers who are into home decor but don’t find the items that truly represent themselves in stores or online. You see people between the ages of 21 and 35 who will invest thousands into figurines, rugs, and all types of random items created by their favorite streetwear brands. These same people look for unique one of a kind piece that they can put in their homes. If you are a graffiti artist that designs from home why work on a normal desk when you can have a modern desk that has drawers that are a mini graffiti mural that also has a touchscreen monitor embedded into the tabletop that can help you design your next piece. This is where I come in. Mixing all forms of interest with traditional design styles with a touch of technology is my specialty. It’s sort of like collecting art, except for my pieces are all functional.
Some of my favorite builds I’ve done thus far are:
– Nintendo NES controller coffee table: This coffee table was built to resemble an exact replica of a Nintendo NES controller with functioning buttons. The “Start” button turns on a Bluetooth speaker within the table while the “Select” button activates the LED lights located at the bottom of the table.
– Wall mounted Bape Arcade cabinet: This arcade cabinet uses by a Raspberry Pi computer while runs a program called “RetroPi” that allows you to play thousands of vintage arcade games. While latched, the cabinet looks like wall-mounted box covered with Bape (the clothing brand) vinyl wrapping. Sort of like art hanging on the wall. But when you unlatch the bottom the control panel flips down and then you are ready for hours of fun.
– Sneaker Speaker: Bluetooth speaker designed to look exactly like a Nike sneaker box. Inside there are two 40W car speakers that you can hear throughout your entire house.
– Nintendo Gameboy coffee table (current build): a coffee table that is a perfectly scaled replica of a Gameboy with a working touchscreen monitor powered by a Raspberry Pi computer. To add extract functionality while you are sitting out your couch, I’ve added a linear actuator that you lift the monitor above the table to be viewed as a tv or computer monitor. In addition, the table also has a Bluetooth speaker as well as LED lights along the bottom. All of the functions of the table (the computer, the LED light, the speaker and the actuator) are all operated using Gameboy buttons on the table.
– Nike box-inspired dresser: This 4 foot tall dresser was designed to look like three Nike shoe boxes stacked on top of one another. The bottom box has two push to open drawers while the middle box opens to reveal a storage cabinet. The top box opens on a hinge to reveal more storage. The client currently uses this dresser as a tattoo station for his home business.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I think there are so many people who deserve credit here. If we are talking about who taught me the skillset, I would say YouTube was my biggest mentor! It’s amazing how much you can learn if you just seek the knowledge.
But if when it comes to who taught me the mindset, I would have to say my family. My mother, uncle aunt and grandmother have always been creative people who love to add their own stamp on anything they do. Also, they taught me the value of a side hustle and how you always need one. Since high school, I’ve always had a side hustle whether it was buying and selling shoes, cutting hair, tutoring. I’ve always looked for ways for me to make money to try to support myself. My mother, as an elementary school teacher is one of the most creative people I know. Finding different ways to stimulate her students and make learning fun all while running an event planning business on the side. My aunt and uncle renovating and selling homes using their knowledge of design and trends to make their houses more unique than the next. And finally, my grandmother. The entrepreneur who taught all of us the value of working for yourself and how important financial independence is. Also, how important it is to continue to learn new things. Never be content with what you already know.
I take lessons from all these people. Finding new and exciting ways to push my designs forward and give people something new that they’ve never seen before. Paying attention to current designs, what’s next on the horizon and how I can be ahead of the next trend.
As far as consumers go my brother (Evand Holmes) has been my biggest customer. When I started building items to sell Evand was first in line to put in an order. Having someone pay for some of the crazy ideas I had in my head gave me the ability to show people what I could do without having to finance those prototypes on my own. I’m not saying I’m a household name or anything but I wouldn’t be on the track I am now without that early support.
Another great influence on me was my alma mater Clark Atlanta University. As a business school graduate with a dual degree in Supply Chain and Marketing, my school drove home every idea I was taught by my family growing up. I was lucky to learn from millionaire professors who ran successful businesses who genuinely wanted to see me succeed. I wasn’t just another student in the classroom but a part of a family what cared about my future. There’s a common misconception that HBCU’s don’t hold any diversity but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Sure, most of the students who attend an HBCU are of African American descent in most cases, the student body is comprised of people from all over this country. I would wager that more that 60% of the CAU’s student body are not from Georgia, and that’s the diversity that matters. It’s that melting pot that has given me an open perspective and mindset which allows me to plan my business not just based on my surroundings but beyond.
Finally, my wife (Derronisha Stephens) and daughter (Tahani Stephens). Pursuing a passion is very time-consuming and not to mention risky. From day one, I’ve been lucky to have the support of my wife 100%. I’ve been able to manage my time well so far but if all goes well, I will be entering a stage in the business where my work my will begin to cut into my family time. But having the strong wife that I have, I know that I have nothing to worry about when it comes to the foundation of our family. This year I told my wife that my goal was to put all of my time (and money) into the business. This meant no family big vacations and no excessive spending. Understanding how important this is to me she agrees and has encouraged me to stay on this path. No one is a bigger supporter of my work than my wife and I’m thankful for it. As my 5-year-old daughter, this is who I’m doing all of this for. Now it would be a dream to have a thriving business that I can hand off to my children but there’s a real possibility that it may not be their dream to inherit the family business, and that’s okay. I want my daughter to blaze her own trail and follow her own dreams and I think the best way I can help her do that now while she’s a child is to show her what going for your dream looks like. I wouldn’t feel right telling her to fight for what she wants without showing her that I did the same. No matter if I don’t reach the success that I’m working toward or if I switch to something new, she will know I left it all out on the table.
Contact Info:
- Email: altbuilds1@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alt_builds/ https://www.instagram.com/dom_freshm3n/
