A marketplace doesn’t work without its sellers, and here at Chairish we’re proud to support over 10,000 US-based small design businesses. In honor of Small Business Saturday, we sat down with three of our amazing sellers to discover how they got their start, and more. Get to know these wonderful business owners and this holiday, shop small on Chairish!
Kayce Hughes Art
How did your business get started? Tell us your origin story.
“I was a studio art major in school but I got a job with Ralph Lauren right after graduation in women’s design. Later I started my own clothing that included 3 retail locations. Painting and creating was something that I always did on the side. A few years ago (thanks to Instagram) my painting started to do very well and I sold the clothing company and decided to paint full time”
Tell us about the one that got away. That missed flea market gem or vintage find you wish you’d purchased when you had the chance.
“There are very few that got away. If I absolutely love something and the price is fair I usually buy it. A few years ago I stumbled on a large midcentury octagonal wood mirror with a brass edge. I think it was $75 and I can not remember why I didn’t buy it on the spot. I returned the next day to find it was gone. I am still hopeful that I will find it again! Perhaps on Chairish!”
As a small business owner, what do you like about selling on Chairish?
“I have loved vintage for as long as I can remember. When I create paintings I picture them in rooms alongside unique pieces that tell a story. So selling on Chairish felt like the perfect match.”
Visit the Kayce Hughes Art Chairish Shop >>
From Paris to Palm Beach
How did your business get started? Tell us your origin story.
“I really started in the antique business thru a passion for interior design, which I still have today. I believe vintage and antique pieces add depth and character to any room. Most of today’s home furnishings are modeled after much earlier antiques, so why not have the original! I pride myself on trying to stay on trend thru the use of older pieces. I began in a booth, which led to a shop, which lead to warehouse, and eventually Chairish!”
Tell us about the one that got away. That missed flea market gem or vintage find you wish you’d purchased when you had the chance.
“When I look back on my years as a dealer and the many amazing things I have purchased, one that stands out that I didn’t get was a tall, completely mirrored Venetian secretary in New York. When you opened it, it was a bar! I thought I had won it, but the auctioneer called it to someone else. I had never seen anything like it, nor have I since. It is that illusive treasure that has fueled many days of hunting, including quite a few funny episodes with one of my daughters!”
As a small business owner, what do you like about selling on Chairish?
“What I like most about Chairish is that it is constantly innovating…always striving to improve both the buyer and seller experience. I really appreciate that I can sell a broad range of products on the site, since I enjoy many different aesthetics.”
Visit the From Paris to Palm Beach Chairish Shop >>
SILLA, LTD.
How did your business get started? Tell us your origin story.
“My wife and I have always enjoyed going to estate sales, auctions and digging around through classifieds to outfit our home in an interesting way. A few years after we were married, we were moving to the DC area with my job and we decided to sell some of the furniture to change up the home a bit. They were great pieces, so we spent some time carefully cataloging them and marketing them locally and they sold quickly and for a great price! It was pretty exciting to see how much people enjoyed the pieces that we had spent so much time trying to find and restore, so we did it again… and eventually we had an apartment literally stacked to the ceiling with interesting objects for sale. At a certain point it became obvious that this is what we wanted to do, so I quit my job and we started building a business. It has been a slow evolution from just the two of us in our apartment, to our home, to a storage complex, to a 4,800 square foot shop with our staff members Tim and Joy, and finally into a 9,000 square foot building we just purchased in July in downtown Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.”
Tell us about the one that got away. That missed flea market gem or vintage find you wish you’d purchased when you had the chance.
“I still remember a blanket chest that my wife and I found at an estate tin Northern Virginia in 2008. It was a gorgeous English chest in golden oak with carved initials of the original owner and dated 1751, overall sitting on these little bun feet. And the surface was like silk with a burnished patina from years of waxing and light wear. But the price was just slightly more than I wanted to pay at the time and I’ve regretted it ever since! Life goes on, but it is always a good reminder to me that when you see a piece that is magnetic and really captures you, it will capture someone else too so you better move quickly!”
As a small business owner, what do you like about selling on Chairish?
“Clients that shop on Chairish tend to be well-informed and care about the details of an object. We put a lot of time and energy into each piece, so it is exciting to interact with clients that really appreciate great material culture.”
Visit the SILLA, LTD. Chairish Shop >>
Lead photo courtesy of Mixed Nuts
