In this episode, I chat with my good friend Shelly Miller Leer. She’s a designer, writer, and teacher, who specializes in the art of upholstery. She’s championed the movement towards restoring, restyling, and repurposing, long before it was the trendy thing to do.
Shelly just launched a new book on upholstery and is currently teaching out of her HomeRoom shop in Indianapolis. In this episode, Shelly shares some of her secrets to upholstery, her journey as a writer and teacher, and the tools you need to get started upholstering your own furniture.
Check out Shelly at Homeroom in Indianapolis and follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Read the full transcript.
Timothy
welcome to Tool Grave, a podcast right shot with the best and brightest makers to gain insights on how they make and discover which tools they really use and which tools they covet. I’m Timothy Doll, the founder of Charles and Hudson Media and former editor at Popular Mechanics Lifehacker and this old house. Today, my guest is my good friend Shelly Miller Lear. She’s a designer, writer and teacher who specializes in the art of upholstery. She’s champion the movement towards restoring restyling and repurpose ing long before it was trendy thing to do. Shelly just launched a new book on upholstery is currently teaching out of her home room shop in Indianapolis. In this episode, Shelly shares over secrets upholstery, her journey as a writer and teacher and the tools you need to get started upholstering your own furniture. All right. Hello, Shelly. Thanks so much for coming on the podcast.
Shelly
Hi, Timothy. Thank you for having
Timothy
me. Of course, I as we were just discussing Ah, flying. We met, like, many years ago at this Delta event, and I can’t recall if you can. I’d love that’d be kind of surprised and shocked to hear how long ago. It was
Shelly
Oh, had to be over five years ago, don’t you think?
Timothy
Oh, I think Probably closer to a old nine years. Oh, yeah. I was living in New York, I think pretty sure was living in New York then. That was almost 10 toes 10 years ago.
Shelly
That was a deluxe event. Really fun.
Timothy
It was. That was my first time going to eat an apple. Is it Indianapolis? Right. Right. OK, which is here, which is where you’re based. Correct?
Shelly
What? You came to Indianapolis, but then we turned around. Didn’t we go to New York for the air? Was at a separate event for the, um, for the fashion week?
Timothy
I don’t know if I was a part of that.
Shelly
Did you not do that?
Timothy
Oh, that was yes. That was the moment thing.
Shelly
No, that was It was Jason Wu.
Timothy
Yep. I know I was not, um, fashion was not part of my thing. I don’t know
Shelly
why. I have no idea why I got invited. That’s
Timothy
awesome. So you went to fashion Week? Yes. That’s very cool. And you still do it. I mean, there was a tie in with Jason Wu and textures. All right. Okay. Okay.
Shelly
Bryza. Linus, still? Yeah. I don’t know whether he’s still involved with that, but that Brazil lines still going strong.
Timothy
And that’s their upscale version.
Shelly
Right? Okay. Yeah.
Timothy
Okay, because I recall I mean, that was at that event was the first time. I admit, um, I had a writer at the time, and we both came, and we’re re installing a faucet as part of it.
Shelly
Okay? How to do all their fancy faucets. It
Timothy
was all right. Yeah, I know. That was That was a good time. And actually, unfortunately, I think I was just in announcement. Didn’t even have a chance to to scout Indianapolis. Which, um, I feel weird because I I just Sometimes these big cities, American cities, I feel like I’ve never been to, but it’s kind of Ah, it’s sad that I haven’t like Indianapolis Pittsburgh, like these places where I feel like I know so much about, but I’ve never been to
Shelly
It was good weather. You would have enjoyed it. I can’t recall where
Timothy
I went. It was good. And I think I just jumped on a plane and came back. So I’m trying to switch that up. And if I have time, at least spend a day trying to try to get some highlights wherever I am.
Shelly
You know what? I do remember your writer. I remember introducing myself and talking to
Timothy
your right. At
Shelly
that time,
Timothy
you were still in touch. And
Shelly
yes, I Oh, her on instagram. That’s right.
Timothy
Yes. Yes. She, um she’s still writing. She put a book out about Kansas City,
Shelly
and she’s
Timothy
actually gonna be spending, I think, a couple months. Um, actually, California doing some writing, so yeah. I mean, this kind of goes back to our blogging days, which I kind of want to jump into because I’m kind of new to your we met. You were doing mod home ec, A blonde
Shelly
tomato. Mac was the predecessor to my homeroom website. And, you know, I was blogging a lot back then.
Timothy
And that’s what got you these opportunities. You’re connecting with brands and and doing different things like that. You were not just you weren’t really focused on the upholstery as much as you are now.
Shelly
I think that if I remember this correctly, I was writing for a website called Curb Lee.
Timothy
You know,
Shelly
Kirby and that sort of got my foot in the door. And then I had my own website. But the Curb Lee stuff is what got me going. But I had been a I don’t know if you want to hear about this right now, but, um, I had been upholstering for about, I don’t know, 20 years, maybe, as my kids were growing up, I was, um I just started my own little business, and I trained, and I did that. And then I started taking that online when those logs started, um, happening, you know, when all of a sudden people were writing and showing what they could do. And I started kind of trying to encourage people to tiu at least pick up something and try to upholster it on. And yes, so that’s I don’t know how it all evolved. It just did kind of It was like a snowball effect.
Timothy
And what year? What year was that about? When you started? That
Shelly
couldn’t be. I think I started at, like, 2006. Um, I started putting stuff out there, and it was going up on design, sponge and craft the craft website, and then, um curb Lee, The guy currently Bruno, You’ve probably met him? I don’t know. He contacted me and said, Hey, you know, we’re looking for writers. So that’s that was it? That was how I got going on all of this. And it’s been Ah, it really has been an unexpected evolution,
Timothy
right? I mean, in back then it was there weren’t that many outlets that writing so But you were with the beaming with design sponge. Horribly. I mean, those were the 22 big ones out there.
Shelly
Well, I didn’t get paid to write for designs, bench. She just would. You know what you said is true. There was not that much content available, So if you sense something, everybody was grabbing it up, you know? And it would be like two people were gonna post it and they were You had to choose one,
Timothy
right? Right. It was just about the exposure that you I mean, you probably got a design sponge back in the day. It might have crashed your website.
Shelly
That’s right
Timothy
now. So let’s just jump in forward to kind of what you’re doing now. And, you know, I know that upholstery has been as you said, like, kind of a lifelong Ah, you know, thing for you. But now you’re doing I mean, think we touch base a little bit. You’re doing classes. You have just tell me a little bit about home, right And how that works out.
Shelly
Well, it’s funny because, um, I don’t know, I There are so many facets to upholstery, and I don’t want to belabor the point, but you know, there is. There are the old timey posters. There are the new D I Y of posters. Then there are all those in the middle, and it’s, you know, it’s kind of a little dog eat dog world in there because they tried and true traditional pollsters kind of, um, you know, they think a D. I. Y upholstery is something to kind of scoff at, but that’s the way a lot of people get into upholstery, and there are a shortage of the pollsters out there in the world, and I mean especially the United States. But I’m not sure that there’s the need that there used to be, Um, because people are not. Unfortunately, people are not hanging on to those good old pieces like they used to. Um, So, um, I am I started teaching classes, probably about well. It had to be over 10 years ago, because I’m in my brick and mortar shop that I’ve been in for over 10 years, and I started in the basement of my house, and, um, that soon got too crowded. I had three people, three students, and we were kind of falling all over each other. So I went out and rented space, and I’ve been down there for 10 years, and I started this one little product called Upholstery Boot Camp. And it’s really for D I wires. It’s for beginners, and they bring in a simple open arms side chair, and we just start on Friday mornings and tear it down and work the days Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and ideally, they walk out Sunday with a Finnish chair. And you know all the teaching that can go into in three days, which, you know you can’t go to in depth, but you can give them a taste of it, and then people can tell whether they like it or they don’t like it, and mostly they like it. But sometimes they like, you know, This just isn’t for me, which is fine.
Timothy
Yeah, that’s amazing. I mean, so somebody can come in with no experience, have a chair that they want to re upholster, and at the end of three days, they actually have a new chair that they’ve done themselves.
Shelly
That’s right. But it’s not just any luck. Lounge chair, You know that it’s it’s a seat, and then it’s an inside back and outside back. It’s not like a fully upholstered armchair, because there are There is a time limit, and I have had people bring in the wrong kind of chairs. But I tell him ahead of time. What kind did cheers to bring in? So I just had a boot camp last weekend, and they, you know, there’s so much more to it than just the actual work. They just they’re trying something new. They’re learning something out of there, out of their zone in there. It’s just it’s I don’t know. It’s really gratifying, and I realized early on watching the classes that there was something that was happening. These people were just really enjoying the process. So, you know, I kept it up and I tried to I’m still trying to expand it. And, um, it’s been very successful. So I started making online courses after that.
Timothy
That’s yeah, that’s some something that, actually we’re looking at online courses for built by kids, which I know we’ve discussed Israel. And, um, you know, there’s just there’s an opportunity there, and I feel like you’re being able to scale kind of what you’ve created down in your basement with the number of people that you have, and you can’t really your kind of holding. It seems like with some like this, you’re really kind of holding everybody’s hand and kind of getting them going. Whereas with online course, kind of amazing how much you could really get out there for people.
Shelly
It’s what? You know what? Using our how many people say they couldn’t do it online. But yet how many people really can do it? And people are getting better at, um, creating from online courses.
Timothy
Now, you already started already launched this court.
Shelly
Yeah, I did. These started these in 2014.
Timothy
Oh, Okay. So you’re a veteran.
Shelly
I haven’t. I have four courses online, and I know that I did. I had to scale it and I sold them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sold them over and over and over. And, um, I have a new course I’m working on now, which is, um, mid century modern, which people don’t really know howto a pollster, mid century, modern, beginning pieces. So that’s that should be interesting. And I have a lot of interest from from my email list for that.
Timothy
No, that’s I mean, we actually have some mid century modern, like Scandinavian dining chairs. That very simple, but they and it’s really just the seat. And they’re stained very. They look terrible, but, um, we definitely need a course like that.
Shelly
Well, you know, that’s I would sit here and ask you all sorts of questions as a potential student, but I would say so. Would you like classes that just do one or two types of chairs, or would you like a chair? A, um, a bench and ottoman? You know, it’s it’s hard to know people. People say they like it all, so it’s hard to choose what to do in an online class. You don’t wantto do too much,
Timothy
right? And some people, like I think, for us. Those have really only chairs that we have that have upholstery on them. The rest of them are kind of more, uh, the the you know, either plastic or solid wood. So and because I feel like right now, that might change after we take your course. It’s not something that we’re going to be looking for, you know, to constantly be doing. Um, but it definitely needs to be done. Or else we would just We’re just gonna have to send it out, I guess. Yeah.
Shelly
You don’t want to send it out. You can do that.
Timothy
I know. I’d left to it pick up the fabrics and go through the whole process.
Shelly
I know. I’m sitting here thinking already what kind of fabric you’re gonna need for that. I mean, I’m scanning that.
Timothy
You’ll have to bring it out to Minneapolis and e.
Shelly
I think we could do like a Facebook live or something where I could just show you in my shop
Timothy
how to Do you want it? Yes. Yes, I I will mark that down because it’s definitely again. We have four chairs. It’s ah, it’s not a big set, and it’s kind of the focal point Every time we look at them now, we’re just We’re just kind of cringe, and they keep getting worse. I feel like we might want to wait to our youngest. So boy, a little older because they’re just gonna We might be digging around, all right, His hands air. Now, just, um yeah, they’re not As soon as we do it, I think they’re just gonna get worse. So a couple more years, maybe indeed, get
Shelly
away to those kids, get it, um, contained they get tamed. So I have a question. So when you talk about the, um, the possibility of doing an online class for kids and tools um, I’ve thought about what? You know, we’ve talked about that, Um, how would you would They wouldn’t be marketed to just like anybody out there. Or would it be to groups, you know, because I’ve thought about um Girls Inc and different I don’t know if you have Girls Inc where you are, but you know, it’s, ah, organization for underserved girls. But it could be kids, boys and girls. How do you How would you market a tool clad tool use to kids?
Timothy
Great question. Were in process of actually building this course, figuring out our kind of ideal customer. Um, and right now we haven’t even expanded on those different opportunities. We are in process, as you know, if you know how it works with building our list and trying to connect with people who really, um, would be ideal customer. And we kind of have that worked out based on different interviews, Um, who our audience is right now on social, who visits the website, and it looks like I feel like there’s a big opportunity for these different groups. Um, I think the course itself will be a little bit more general and have an age range of maybe 8 to 12 years old, coming in with very varying levels of experience, but mostly like they’ve really never touched a tool. All right, so I think that, you know, we we want to grow on that with Project building, that with projects literally building that with projects, um, more advanced kind of tool stuff with working with power tools, things of that nature. But, you know, doing a course that specifically geared towards towards girls or towards different communities is something that we’ve discussed. Um, right now, it’s just gonna have to build on that.
Shelly
No, I think you just have to just start. And and that’s what I’m working on. Just getting it started. And I’m not working on the online part now. I just wanna start The class is right. Um yeah, and I think that it is It’s the tie. It’s time for it for kids and tools because, um, when my kids were little and you’ve taught your kids how to use tools from the beginning. But when I was growing up, that was nobody. No, kids were using tools. Maybe the boys got to try a tool every now and then. But, um, when my kids were little, they went to a preschool that was a co op nursery school, which I’m not even sure if that’s a big thing anymore. But they just let kids start drilling and hammering, you know, with the parent supervision and teacher supervision. And I was my dropped jaw just dropped open. Like how great is this,
Timothy
right? I think that’s even less now. In a way, you have to really seek out maker spaces to sorry Sanders tinkering schools, and it’s really not. I mean, there are preschools now. You are. Our son went to maybe a similar school where they’re not. They’re not picking up maybe real tools, but they’re doing a lot of outdoor classrooms, love, tactile exposure to different things. So, um, and his school hasn’t maker Space City goes to now, but it’s it’s not, you know, more often than not. And what we’re looking at are gearing our course towards our Children who really don’t have any exposure to that. And the main thing is not necessarily, you know, learning the ins and outs of the actual tool, but more big building confidence that come more self sufficient. So if they have a
Shelly
title way, that
Timothy
right, so we have a challenge, like Okay, I can use a tool to do this, but just think of, like, these different ways to approach it, then handing it off to somebody else or spending money or throwing it away, getting something new. So you know, there’s a lot, as you know of, you know, that that just builds a confidence and just like, hey, I can take us on And hey, if this too. Of course you know kind of helped me along that way. That’s great.
Shelly
No, I love it that the tools are a metaphor for tools, you know, to these air tools for a lot of things in their lives. And it’s empowerment, you know, when you realize you could do it. It kind of bleeds into all parts of her life.
Timothy
You have your kids taking on any upholstery or they have never. But
Shelly
you know what they did. I did used Thio. I’m not gonna say make them. But I did make them tear down furniture for me when they were growing up there, probably from early junior high on, and I would pay them a little bit. And they’d Sometimes they just spread out a canvas in the living room in front of TV, and I showed them how to carefully you don’t take out tax or whatever. I didn’t give them things that were really hard, but, um, other than that, they’ve not been interest there. They’ve not been interested in doing it themselves, but they are all interested in furniture. I think, from having that exposure
Timothy
right, right. I mean, it’s it’s interesting. You said when you kind of get bring it in to them early on, then it’s kind of nothing. You know, it’s nothing out of the ordinary, and they just kind of our fine, you know, either way, And, you know, they can kind of take it to the next level if they need to.
Shelly
Well, and I you know, I’ve noticed lately when we’re out and about, you know, they have their own places, they’re living and you know, their aesthetic and things are much more for the country. Things that I was doing, you know, finding vintage pieces that are work with hanging off something unusual. So those that those I don’t know, I guess my values have seeped into them. And, um, I’m just really happy to see that that they aren’t running out and buying just generic kind of throw away pieces.
Timothy
Yeah, that’s a great point to when you talk about upholstery and, uh, kind of look at fast fashion. Is that Are you saying that like fast furniture, like I mean it bring up I ke a But you know, things that we invest in, they look they look nice, but, you know, they’re not really gonna last and make it through a move or, you know, after a few years, you’ll just throw it away. You get something new. Um, obviously there’s a resurgence. I feel like in vintage in secondhand shopping for furniture like quality stuff. But is that a wave that you’re kind of writing now? Hopefully,
Shelly
yeah, well, I had a hard time hearing some of that that you were saying. Sorry, What was the What was the in
Timothy
Quiet was more. Yeah, more of like, you know, hey, Mikey is kind of everywhere. Ubiquitous Throw away furniture. But you know, there’s still a lot of people who want to invest as one with fashion, invest in a really great piece that last for years that they can take care of and somewhat timeless.
Shelly
Well, and I think I agree with you. And I think that, like my responsibility and whatever platform I have is to educate people about this and why it’s better to put the money into ah re upholstery job rather than a new piece. So what? What they end up saying is, you know I for how much money that’s gonna cost for all the foam and the padding and fabric, I could buy a new piece. Well, yeah, that’s true. You could probably buy a piece for cheaper sometimes, but it’s not going to be as good of quality as the older piece. Um, and it’s it was not gonna last long. If an older pieces lasted that long. It’s probably gonna last a lot longer. So But, you know, again, sometimes people just don’t care, because whether they’re moving or they’re transient, they’re just, you know, I’m gonna throw it out. I just don’t need to have this heavy old pieces of my mother’s or grandmother’s furniture. So we were gonna talk a little bit about I don’t know if you want to about upholstery tools, because there’s just so well, since you’re doing tool crime, upholstery tools are the best. I think that’s probably one of the reasons why I have stuff with it all these years. Um, and I don’t know if you know what our typical tools, or if you have any listeners who might want to take on one of their little pieces and tear it down, I could tell them how to not have to invest in, um, you know, specific tools, but just used some things they have at home,
Timothy
right? That’s great. If breakdown kind of I know top tools that somebody would need and if they already have it in their home, even better.
Shelly
Okay, so, um, I would say that a good electric stapler and an upholstery specific staple gun is the best. But if you don’t have that, you can I would get an electric stapler, whatever kind you can get. And if you have one that hooks up to your air compressor even better. Um, but all you need is a little flat head screwdriver, probably with a long handle, but a narrow head on it, and a pair of crescent pliers and a pair of scissors and a hammer. That’s it. Yep. Well, that’s not it. As you get going, you know, into it deeper and deeper, but to get started, that’s how I got started. And then I started adding tools to my collection. But you can get by with those for a long time, as long as you’ve got a good stapler there. And, um, the main company that makes upholstery tools also make leather tools. And it’s called Osborn. Yeah. Do you know I was born
Timothy
I’ve heard of them. Yes,
Shelly
yeah. So there’s a leather shop here in town that has scrapped leather. It’s really caters to, um, shoe shops. She repair shops, and all of a sudden I noticed they had a whole collection of Osborne tools down there. I had no idea. Osborne also made leather tools, but these are the best tools toe hold in your hand because you know these people who do this for a living have those have those tools in their hands all day long, and they feel so good. And I would say that my Osborne tools I got 25 years ago I’m still using. They’re just they’re indestructible and they’re so well made. So a lot of people run out and try to buy some cheapie things, and it might work for a little bit. But overall, it’s better to invest in the better tools,
Timothy
right? And do you buy these, buy them online or certain
Shelly
Yeah, yeah. Um, yes, because there’s no place here in town that sells thumb. I and I think Jo Ann Fabric tries to sell some upholstery tools, but there I don’t think they’re very good. Um, there’s a I don’t know if you want me to mention some. Resource is there’s a website called D I Y upholstery, and they sell, um, online and they they ship it really quickly. And I have not done a price comparison. I happen to have a, um, wholesaler that sells to me, and he’s in Cincinnati. Their prices aren’t that great, but I’ve been using them for so many years. But the D ay wires can use this d i y upholstery and get really good quality materials that you can’t get locally. You know, it’s not gonna be giant foam. It’s gonna be a posters film,
Timothy
right? Right. Actually, another, um, just a random thing here. We also have some outdoor furniture that we have to have re upholstered, and we’re having a hard time finding, you know, good foam, good fabric. Um and yeah, I think maybe that’s what we’ll check out, dear. Why upholstery?
Shelly
Well, you know, So I now you’ve got me curious. I’m sorry, but are these cushions can you lift him up off of there?
Timothy
The these air loose cushions? Yes. Is that something that works or No,
Shelly
I just wondered if you’re going to Rio you know, redo them or buy new.
Timothy
We could, you know? Well, so we’ve thought about putting a cover on them because they’re just trying to wear away. But also, the foam is just It’s kind of a poor quality foam. So when you sit on it, you just kind of almost go right to the bottom.
Shelly
Oh, yeah? Well, your film’s gone, so Yeah, well, see, that’s another conversation. I need to take a look and see what you got there, and I can give you all sorts of advice. Um, but yeah, so So the upholstery tools and I Like I said, I think it’s what has kept me so interested. There’s always a new tool for some other little, um, you know, challenge that you come up with with a different piece of furniture, because I have, um, some. I call him low slung modern. Ah, I call in my low slung mid century lounge tears that have loose cushions. And then let’s say you have ah, traditional chair. But the the webbing and all this stuff is completely different on those two. So you get to get new tools for different pieces of furniture. You know, It’s like getting new school supplies. So when I used to do a piece and I open it up, I’m like, Ooh, I need to get some of that elastic webbing that’s from the sixties. That’s what you know from from that era. So then you get to go hunt for supplies, which, you know, I don’t know if you’re like I am, but I love new tools and I love supplies,
Timothy
right? No, that’s what that sounds like. A lot. A lot of fun. A lot of good excuse to, uh, to invest in more fun stuff.
Shelly
Yeah.
Timothy
Um what? I know, I know. I know. You’re I wrote about some of these tools and also your book, the little upholstery book. Yeah, out of that. I mean that Has that been out for a while Now tell me about that and how that happened.
Shelly
Okay? My book came out in May and shift for publishing. Published it there outside of Philadelphia. And I will tell you this quick story because it was all it all came about at the furniture design society. Would workers show up in important in port town port towns? There’s a guy here in town who is the head of the hair in School of art and Design furniture program. And he brought his undergrad and graduate classes into my shop just to show them what upholstery Waas You know, they’re making furniture that they don’t really often know how to do in the upholstery. So we did a little workshop, and then we were talking and he said, Would you like to come out here and talk to this group? So I flew out to Port Townsend, Washington, which, if you don’t know, happens to be the location they filmed. It’s an army base and they filmed, um, an officer and a gentleman there. Okay. And so Port Townsend, their claim to fame is all of these woodworkers are there that repair big boats. And so they have this giant boat yard and all these really, really talented craftsman. And so that seemed like a logical place for this furniture design society to hold their talk anyway. Okay, so that’s that’s the basis. Then, um, I met this seat. One of the senior editors at Schiffer. He was there, and I probably had had maybe too much caffeine or something, and I went up at lunch and just sat down. I said, I’ve got an idea for a couple different books. I just I just wondered if you’d be interested in listening and he was very polite and yes, and I told him and he said, Well, here’s my card. Get ahold of me, which I did. And then, um, I wrote up a little proposal for it. And one day it was in the fall about this time of year. I had gone kayaking and I got back in the car. I get a phone call from Pete Schiffer, the owner of shit for publishing, and he said Yes, we wanted to publish your book and I was floored.
Timothy
That’s amazing. I mean, you went right to the person you made your pitch and they said Yes. And that’s it. Wow. Wow, that’s awesome.
Shelly
I don’t Yeah,
Timothy
how much? So how long when was this conference? How long? How long until, like, kind of that I Well,
Shelly
I don’t know if you want to know that. Okay, So they give you the really generous and they give you a year to write your book. And they understand that life happens and things happen? Well, I had a lot of things that happened in that in during that year. I had lost, um, three siblings, and it wasn’t all within one year, but it was in successive years. Actually, there was, like, a year in between, and so I would get partway done, and then I’d lose another one, and then I had to be, you know, all all adrift
Timothy
for wash.
Shelly
And so after the last member, my sister passed away in 2014. Um, I’m 2015. It was like, All right, I’ve got to get this book finished. And so I just buckled down and did it because I knew I thought I’m gonna lose this opportunity if I don’t get it done. And they were so kind. But anyway, so then I finally wrapped it up. And so it came out in May of 2019 and I had it finished in, um, December of 2018.
Timothy
Well, that’s critic quickly went to print and,
Shelly
well, you know, maybe it wasn’t weighted it. Maybe it was No. Maybe it was the spring of 2018. I wanted to have it released in the winter. and they bumped it to the spring. So yeah, I had it had it ready to go earlier, but they bumped it back to the next release date. So yeah, so that that was just kind of, you know, it’s a great accomplishment. And they tell you right up front, this is not gonna make you a $1,000,000 but, you know, it’s good calling card.
Timothy
Know for sure. I mean, you definitely can. Having something in print is still I feel like the pinnacle and a lot of what we’re doing. And you can only refer to it and it’s just No, that’s That’s amazing. Congratulations.
Shelly
Thank you. Can I tell you? I saw your picture on the tool crave website, and I have to tell you one of my favorite projects in my book. Well, I only had six projects in there, but one of the best ones was bought at Goodwill for $14 ugly old. And if you would know this, a scroll arm bench. So the both sides kind of go around in a big curve, you know, frumpy. I would say it’s a frumpy bench. Okay? And I don’t know what I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I stripped down all the padding and fabric and I took the saws all to it. Fine. I and I had never even used a sauce all, and I thought, What the heck? I’m just gonna cut this scroll the scrolls off here. And so I did it. And it was kind of like the beauty of this was, and this is what I love about building. It’s like I didn’t really know upfront how it was gonna turn out, But it was just step by step. I figured it out, and then I thought, Oh, I have a frame now, Now I have the frame. I can a poster too. And it just, you know, it was nothing. I knew I had a time, which is sometimes frustrating. You know? You want to know the instructions, is like I don’t know how it’s gonna work But I’m gonna make it work.
Timothy
Just gonna have to freestyle and let it go. Yeah, you saw is all in your hand and just let her rip.
Shelly
Oh, man, That saws all was great. I have to think of something else. I can use that on
Timothy
the kind of amazing. Yeah, he’s mine a lot. I mean, for landscaping stuff for just like all all the time. I just even for, like, auto stuff is just, um ah, lot of uses for for
Shelly
research. Like you cut bushes down with?
Timothy
Yeah, a lot. I mean, remove trees sometimes. You know, sometimes it changed a little bit of overkill, but, you know, you can get it down, get that blade kind of down, and you can get it down into the dirt. It’s not really innit? Yeah. And, um, yeah, we actually use it a lot for getting rid of old stuff, helping clear stuff. It just just doesn’t nearly nice quick job and
Shelly
just thought about that.
Timothy
Yeah. Yeah, I First time I saw it was on a it was at a ah, like one of these Habitat for Humanity builds. And this guy had one and we were cutting out. Um, we use it to cut out some rose bushes, and it was like, Oh, that’s that was easy way to do it. They stop when they hit the dirt. Right? And you don’t want to. You can mess up your song, and it’s just you know, and there’s just more involved with a chainsaw. So? So that Recep, though they just Yeah, there’s a They’re very capable. Yeah. Yeah. Um,
Shelly
I won’t use that chainsaw ever again. I tried that. I’m lucky I didn’t cut my leg off and that I will never use that again.
Timothy
You know, it’s you know now, with all the battery powered chain saws, there’s even more up for people to kind of jump right into them. And, you know, I feel like a long as you’re kind of in a really, you know, you know, environment. You’re wearing the proper safety year, and you have a real specific, like, you know, the direction that you’re cutting, then they’re they’re fine to use, but, um but yeah, they’re not that they’re not for giving it all so
Shelly
well, What I was trying to do is I had tree stumps, you know, and I wanted to cut the top. Strange. And I had two long of ah, chain saw. It was too heavy for me, Okay? And I just gave up, and I thought I I mean, they’re not gonna do this, or I’m gonna have to get somebody to do it, and it was too dangerous.
Timothy
Right? Right. And you’re cutting a stump, like, flat across where he’s kind of a tough cut, too. Because of the way to the stump on the chain, it can kind of get hung up. Even Maura. And it just, um Yeah, No, that’s Ah, that’s what What’s where a stump grinder comes in? So yeah, but we’ve all done. I’ve done the same thing, though. Interviews it for that. And it just a little bit little more sketchy.
Shelly
Yes. Yeah. So what’s your favorite tool?
Timothy
Oh, you know, I gotta put the reset saw up there because I think for the reasons I just mentioned, um, you know, I feel like a Jigsaw is, you know, it has a lot of uses. Is really kind of one of the first great tools that kids can get into. Um what what else? I I’ve really I really enjoy using the impact driver. I don’t Yeah, I don’t pick up by any time. I can use an impact as opposed to a drill driver. I’ll describe the impact. So that’s probably an impact right now is what I use the most just for you. know for driving screws, Um, for any anything? Um, so, yeah, probably an impact is probably my most favorite one. And in some of these subcompact ones that really like because they’re just so they’re they’re small, but they’re powerful, and they just can, you know, they’re just little workhorses.
Shelly
I have two little DeWalt impact drills, and I love them, and I can run, you know, rotate him around. I need to in my shop. But people come in there and they see how small it is, and they’re just amazed. Especially women. They’re they’re not familiar with tools that Not always. I’m not saying all women aren’t familiar with tools. Most of the ones that come to my shop or not?
Timothy
Yeah. And they don’t. I think that there is something inherent, you know, maybe bias with with some of these power tools. And you think you have to kind of be a like a big, burly guy to pick these things up and use them. But no, you know, not. Not at all.
Shelly
All I know is I’ve been talking about them teaching girls. Are you teaching? His class is two kids. Um, the women that I’m telling us about. Say, Wait, wait. What about teaching it to us? You know, and so I’m finding. I’m hearing that the women are wanting to do that, too. And so, um, I don’t know. I think, kid, you know, it’s easy to get people to sign up for kids classes. I’m not sure to get adults to commit to a tool. Class is gonna be a Z Z,
Timothy
right? It’s, I think, if there’s an maybe an end goal in a sense, for adults to kind of have to go through, um But now there’s there’s so much for us to kind of jump on right now.
Shelly
I know it’s the time is right
Timothy
this exciting man Agree? No. So where can ever working people, you know, connect with you?
Shelly
Okay, well, my, um so I still have my old model MK website, which nobody should go look at unless they want to dig through the archives. But, um, I have the homeroom shop dot com and I had to add the and shop to it because down in Australia, there’s some clothing website called homeroom dot com. So it’s the homeroom shop dot com and then on Instagram I’ve got upholstery. Underscore club. And also, wait a minute. I’m gonna tell you what, That home room, it’s home. Underscore room, underscore shop, room shop. And
Timothy
I think that’s an insult him as well.
Shelly
Yeah. So how? I divided up maybe have too much going on, but on instinct on homeroom shop, it’s mostly my local classes in the upholstery club. Things are more kind of just out there, kind of highlighting upholstery around the world.
Timothy
Okay. And we’re on, uh, anything else, you know, coming up through the end of the year and next year that you want to show?
Shelly
Well, um, one thing I did, and this is nothing for, like, a global audience. But I’m do these sort of little artisan craft classes with leather and wood working. I mean, wood burning and, um, small little classes like that where I’ve been able to take him out to corporate settings like, ah, Salesforce downtown here. And, um so get these techie people who are gonna burn out on their jobs and they get to sit and make something during work hours, and they’re just tickled to death. So I’m loving that. But I’m also doing that in my shop a ce faras online. This this mid century modern beginning class is coming up and then then I’ll just keep I’m just going to start building this library of online courses because that’s it’s just time to do it.
Timothy
That’s what do you do? Courses? Are they closed or open courses? And what is in that sari In terms of timing? Is it something that once you launch, it is just out there anybody can sign up for?
Shelly
Well, that Oh, that’s a good question. Um, no. So how I started out when I first started learning about how to do this, um, they were launched their launches. I always launch him, and I worked with the students throughout the course. So if it’s a four week course or six week and we do it, you know Facebook Group where they can ask questions kind of live stuff. But then after that, um, that I might wait six months and offer that class again and I’ll be a part of it. But then maybe after a year, year and 1/2 I’ll offer it as an evergreen class, okay? And they can come in like all four classes that I have up now are just Anybody can buy any number of them. Every now and then I’ll bundle them so that they get a nice little sale price for all four.
Timothy
Okay. And where can we can somebody access it by the home room? You can
Shelly
go to the hope if they go to the homeroom shop dot com. There’s a drop down under classes and one of them says online, and that’s where that it can be found.
Timothy
Okay, Awesome.
Shelly
And I will I will tell everybody that website needs some freshening up, so I’m gonna go do
Timothy
that right thing. Sounds good. Thank you so much for being on the podcast. There is great catching up.
Shelly
Yeah. I want you to keep me it. I want to keep in touch
Timothy
about this. These kids classes. I think this is really exciting over. Sure. You’ll be the first to know. Okay. All right. Thanks, Shelly. Thanks for listening to To crave if you like the show, please rating of us on apple podcasts or ever You’re listening. Fall along with us for guests. Updates on instagram, twitter and Facebook at Tool Crate and pull free to email us at podcast at tool crate dot com for guest suggestion or just to say hi, Thanks again and see you soon.
