Thorn Coat Tree and Wall Hook - 2010

Many industrial designers aspire to see their creations reach the marketplace and make a lasting impact. Our education equips us to generate ideas, refine concepts, build prototypes, and ultimately share our work with the world. I had the opportunity to experience this firsthand when Room & Board agreed to place purchase orders for my coat tree and wall rack.

To bring these products to life, I sourced lathe-turned wood bases and poles from an Amish woodshop in Ohio. I invested in a lathe replicator and personally turned thousands of thorn-shaped wooden pegs. Working out of my one-car garage, I single-handedly glued, sanded, hand-finished, and packed hundreds of coat racks. This hands-on, small-batch production quickly taught me the challenges of scaling up to achieve profitability.

After nearly two years of this endeavor, I decided to cease production and refocus on the design side of manufacturing. While the outcome was different from what I initially envisioned, I am grateful for the experience and the insights it provided into the realities of bringing a product to market, from craftsmanship and supply chain coordination to the demands of scaling a business.