HIGHLIGHTING HENLEY AND SAM KIBLER
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Husband and wife duo, Henley and Sam Kibler, have teamed up to create a unique furniture business, they call Furloughniture. After Henley was furloughed from his job last year, just four days after buying a new house, he thought he would make items to furnish his home instead of buying them. Combining Sam's eye for design and Henley's handy work, they created some unique pieces that serve a dual purpose, including their most popular, a dog crate that also serves as a bar. Read below to see what inspires this team and to learn how they got their start.
H&F: Please describe your career prior to this venture.
The Kiblers: Pre-pandemic Henley worked with world-renowned musical artists traveling across the globe managing tours and other events. He then worked with a company managing professional corporate events in Nashville, TN. Sam works in clinical research managing oncology drug trials in people before the drug can be marketed for public use. Clearly, we both love interacting with people!
H&F: Tell us about how you have redefined yourself. Describe your project, business, brand and/or platform.
The Kiblers: Furloughniture prides itself on creating custom pieces that are unique, reliable, and of high quality. We specialize in custom dog crates that are beautiful pieces of furniture for any home while doubling as a coffee table, end table, tv table, or even a bar! Sam runs the HR, marketing, and design side and Henley… well he actually creates the pieces! As a newly-wed couple, we love having this opportunity to support each other.
H&F: When/how did you get that light bulb moment to start this brand?
The Kiblers: Like most people, COVID-19 dramatically affected Henley’s career: concerts and large corporate events were completely canceled and he was furloughed four days after closing on our first home. Pulling from his experience rebuilding houses and working on farms, he started building furniture for our brand new home. He posted pictures of his creations and it drew so much attention, we decided to start a company and take custom orders! Furloughniture was born.
H&F: Tell us something unique about your brand.
The Kiblers: We were inspired by the Shou Sugi Ban, or Japanese wood-burning, design but
wanted to make sure we kept the smooth table-top finish. After testing wood styles and products, we were able to master the burn look while creating a high quality product. We also try to keep prices reasonable as we started this business during a time when people were unsure of what each day would bring. Our dog crates are one of our most popular product, we make sure each crate is expertly tested by our own Mountain Doodle pup - Macaroni - so we can confirm our products are dog approved.
H&F: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
The Kiblers: Sam can never have a piece in her house that doesn’t have a dual function: it has to look nice and have a purpose. She couldn’t stand the way a dog crate was only used as... well a dog crate! Henley built her the wooden crate that now doubles as our bar and Macaroni’s home! Henley’s workmanship on each project was so beautiful, Sam couldn’t get him to stop creating her new pieces of furniture.
"As a newly-wed couple, we love having this opportunity to support each other."-The Kiblers
H&F: How can someone get one of your custom pieces?
The Kiblers: Call or text Furloughniture at: 615-803-2453. You can also follow our Instagram page to view examples of projects we’ve created. Excited clients send us pictures of our products in use and we love to share them on this platform.
H&F: What are your future plans to grow the business?
The Kiblers: We plan to start shipping our products nationwide. We are working out a few details but this will be an exciting step into a bold new direction.
H&F: What encouraging advice would you offer someone unsure about starting their own venture?
The Kiblers: JUST GO FOR IT! Post your idea on a local webpage and see if anyone is interested. With resources like Facebook Marketplace available to test new ideas and products there really is nothing stopping you.
H&F: Anything else you want to share?
The Kiblers: We really do want to hear your creative thoughts for a fun new project! Please reach out if you have an idea for something that you’d love to have in your home.
Follow Henley and Sam at www.Furloughniture.com, on Facebook Furloughniture, and on Instagram @furloughniture
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