This week Aaron and Tracy chat with Patrick Cain of Patrick Cain Designs about his interesting path to becoming a furniture designer, and the business side of being a maker.
LET'S CHAT!
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NOTABLE MOMENTS :
- Patrick attributes his success to having a curiosity and learning.
- He started mid-century modern and moved into minimalist design.
- He's currently working on a brutalist vibe with a little touch of Memphis.
- Patrick's company employs people from every continent.
- The shop's process is super collaborative. Patrick has everyone in the shop give input.
- In addition to his main site, Patrick sells his second hand concrete pieces on Etsy, and also at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.
- "Do what you like, save what you love as a hobby".
- Patrick looks at selling at the flea market as free A/B testing. He can tell if he's doing the right thing by who approaches him to hear more.
- "I believe in open cabinetry because you can't hide things!"
- The dogs in Patrick's photos are from Angel City Pitbulls.
- If you're thinking of starting a business, focus on a product that's safe and then expand.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING FURNITURE:
- If it's MDF or particle board it's not going to hold up.
- The heavier the better.
- Look for furniture that is environmentally friendly. Things that are made from new materials are better if they're going to last 10 years.
ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS:
- Patrick uses recycled styrofoam in his concrete pieces.
- Their team looks for fallen trees and materials that can be reclaimed.
SOME CHALLENGES OF RUNNING A BUSINESS/MOST REWARDING:
- One of the biggest challenges is, Los Angeles doesn't make it easy to run a business.
- Being able to pay yourself is tough- it goes to employees and getting reinvested.
- Having steady work.
- Finding employees! Finding reliable people is so difficult.
- Having a happy customer is really rewarding.
FIND PATRICK:
Website | patrickcaindesigns.com
The Gram | @patrickcaindesigns
Facebook | facebook.com/PatrickCainDesigns
Pinterest | pinterest.com/PCD_Furniture
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