Today we’d like to introduce you to Abbey Harper.
Hi Abbey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My husband and I moved back to the US after living in Brazil for five years and bought a short-sale home. While paying a mortgage, completely gutting and redoing our newly purchased home, and paying rent where we were living temporarily, it was clear to us that we needed more income. Our children were very little at the time and I didn’t want to put them in daycare, which would be yet another cost, so I started to redo some furniture pieces to offset all the extra cost. As I focused in on my favorite style (MCM), I learned more and grew a lot in my restoration skills. Once I started an Instagram account, it took off and I had new exposure to so many people who were looking for these pieces. I really enjoy what I do and am so grateful that I can be flexible enough to prioritize family time. Now in addition to restoring furniture that I source, I also work on customers’ pieces that need restoration.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I personally source, pick up, restore, photograph and manage social media so the workload can pretty heavy. The name of my business, Waterloo Wares, comes from where I was born in Waterloo, Iowa and is a nod to the work ethic that was instilled in me at a very young age. Iowa folk are hard workers and I’ve seen the value that comes from that, especially when you own your own business. The work is hard and exhausting at times, especially in these hot summer months, but I love physically seeing progress at the end of each work day. Every challenge gives me an opportunity to think creatively to try and solve it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I restore Mid Century Modern furniture. I try my best to stay authentic to the original finish when possible and sometimes that means removing paint. These pieces are typically a lot more work, but they are also much more rewarding in the end. The original designers and architects who put these amazing furniture creations down on paper did so for a reason and I try to respect that and keep it authentic to their design. There are so many people doing this as a side hustle now who paint it or add harmful products to the finish for a “quick fix” and market it as restored so I would challenge buyers to ask about the restoration process to know what you’re really getting. You don’t want to pay restored prices for a quick flip that will look terrible in a few months. Make an investment in a well-done piece that will give you another 70 years.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I really loved visiting family in Iowa growing up. My grandparents had a farm that we typically went to visit over summer break and we spent most of our time outside in the open space. My Grandmother was somewhat of a collector (to put it nicely) so I enjoyed rifling through all the piles of old magazines and papers and boxes of old stuff. I always came home with too many trinkets and vintage pieces, which I’m sure my parents loved. My Grandfather always saw the value in things that were well-made and intentional, so maybe that’s where I got my appreciation for that.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @waterloowares
