From time to time I love to feature entrepreneurs who have businesses that reflect their creative spirit. Today I thought I would introduce you to Karl Miller of Hudson Goods who like many of us decided to finally turn a dream into reality.
Karl, share with us a little about your background and how you started Hudson Goods;
Believe it or not, my background is Finance and I spent the majority of my career working on Wall Street. I started out college majoring in architecture, which was my real passion, but it just didn't work out. So over the years, I spent my free time renovating homes and moving a lot. My last renovation, which is my current home and the farmhouse in my store logo, gave me the inspiration for Hudson Goods. I designed the interior for relaxed casual living but found it really hard to find the vintage style that I wanted. I love the beauty of natural aged wood, the older the better but needed it to be functional as well. Antiques just would not last in my home. So I decided to design my own line of furniture that looks old but is new! Each piece is made of solid wood and hand painted and distressed. The best part is that they can take the wear and tear of everyday living..
Americana style with a fresh attitude is certainly evident in the products you offer on Hudson Goods. What inspires you when designing or selecting your inventory;
Like many of us, I spent a lot of time scouring flea markets, antique centers and barns looking for old treasures to refurbish. I gained a real appreciation for vintage wood, metal and glass. So I wanted to bring that vintage feel current to meet the needs of today's busy consumer with style meets function. I try to select accessories that are functional and made from our natural elements and wherever possible, green! The picture frames and mirrors are made from recycled boat wood, the barn stars from old tin roofs and bottles from recycled glass. And every once in awhile, I buy a product just because I love it!
Any decorating tips you can share with us to get the Hudson Goods style;
I always start a room with one inspiration piece and build around it. It could be a favorite clock, chair or lamp. I also believe in mixing and matching both furniture and accessories. It gives a more lived in feel when it looks like you hand picked each individual piece. I also believe that if you stay true with natural woods and metals, they compliment each other and go well with any room color. I am big on keeping it simple. A few larger wow pieces in a room can grab attention more than a lot of smaller pieces. So make an investment in a few large pieces and spend less money filling in the rest. And most important, make it comfortable!
What future plans do you have to build your Hudson Goods brand;
Hudson Goods is currently only available on-line but I am pursuing retail space for a few "pop-up" stores. This is where you lease retail space for only a 4-6 week period in a high traffic area to showcase your products, and then you're out! We also started a large booth at the Brooklyn Flea Market this summer and everything we bring sells out in a day so I think the pop-up stores will be very successful.
Lastly, you have to introduce us to your darling dog;
Buddy is actually a girl! She is the best and is one of the family. She came to us at 10 weeks and is now five years old. She is the dog in the company logo and symbolizes our motto, built "jack-tough" The funny thing is that she always knows when the cameras are on and instantly goes into character!
Karl is so generous and is offering this wonderful vintage look watering can in a giveaway. So just leave a comment here and we will select a winner on Friday. Also, Karl has a fantastic blog so please stop by for a visit and say hello.
Thank You Karl:)
*Farmhouse countdown~September 1 !!!!
