Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Barczak.
Hi Erika, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Both Spruce and my personal design career started around the same time but didn’t collide until 4 years ago in 2021.
While I was starting my journey as an interior designer in Houston, two women started Spruce primarily focusing on upholstery and sewing.
How I came to own Spruce is quite a story!
My husband Clint and I have a “why not?!” rule in our marriage. If one of us approaches the other with an idea, the other partner can’t say “no” right away. We have to say “why not!?”… and then work through the idea together.
In 2019, we completed one of our why nots: the conversion of a 1977 California Crown school bus into a tiny home. We set off from Houston to the San Marcos area for what we thought was a temporary stay before exploring more of the US. Well, another “why not” moment popped up, and we established a permanent home for us and the bus when we purchased a small farm during Covid.
Clint continued to be a Skydiving instructor while I was commuting back and forth to Houston for design work. In 2021, a fabric rep shared by Spruce and my former employer contacted me about purchasing Spruce.
When I asked Clint about the purchase – he instigated the “why not” rule and a few months later, we were starting their new careers at Spruce!
Since purchasing the shop, Clint and I have worked together to expand Spruce’s team, workshop, showroom, and offerings! Custom draperies, wallpaper, rugs, interior design services, and so much more is open to the public.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge Spruce has always faced and will continue to face is a growing market/need for upholstery, draperies, and sewing services but a decline in the education/development of upholsterers and craftspeople.
We are only 1 of a handful of shops servicing the Austin area (and beyond) with a dwindling number of schools/workshops offering courses on upholstery and sewing.
A more comical challenge was for Clint to transition from a skydiving instructor to a fabric specialist! But ask him about cut velvets and you won’t be able to get him to stop talking about his favorite fabrics!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Spruce really tries not to say “no” to a project and can tackle anything from reupholstery, sewing cushions and pillows, draperies, custom furniture from scratch, and interior design projects.
Spruce’s craftspeople pride themselves on their creative work and also love a good challenge. Spruce can build upholstered furniture from scratch and collaborate with woodworkers to create custom frames.
At any given time, there will be dozens of projects in an array of fabrics. Everything we do is custom and hand-made. I love looking back through our Instagram and marveling at the number and variety of projects we’ve handled in just a few years.
As a designer, it’s been incredible for me to have an idea for a project, be able to walk to the workshop, and collaborate with master craftspeople to bring my idea to life. I also strive more to save furniture from landfills by seeing more potential in reupholstering pieces instead of starting from scratch.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I wouldn’t have been able to purchase Spruce without my husband, Clint. I’ve never run a business before; he was and continues to be integral in the day-to-day operations and success of the shop. He official job title is “the Dude that Does Stuff” and he never hesitates to handle a variety of challenges.
On any given day, you can find him stripping a piece of furniture, learning how to use a sewing machine, helping a customer pick the perfect fabric, or helping me install draperies… all while making sure the business is running smoothly.
Our team is also incredible –
-Frank and Waldina Barnhouse who are our master upholsterer and head seamstress with more years of experience each than have years on this earth!
-Katherine Baronet – our production manager who truly is the glue that keeps the shop together
-Clarissa Mapes who wonderfully handles our custom draperies!
-Naomi Zito who fills any role we need from helping clients to fulfilling orders, and more.
-Stephanie Wolfe, Alan White Jr., and Sarah Stubblefield who are all incredibly talented craftspeople!
There are so many people who love and appreciate our work at Spruce – our biggest compliment is repeat customers!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://spruceaustin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spruceathome/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spruceupholstery
Image Credits
The image of Erika Barczak was taken by Joosef Bendandi.
The remaining 8 images were taken by Erika Barczak
