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A client's comment about her old dresser really stuck with me
I was refinishing a 1950s dresser for a woman in her 80s last week. When I showed her the finished piece, she didn't just say it looked nice. She said, 'It looks like my mother again.' That hit different because I was so focused on getting the stain color perfect, but she just wanted to see the family piece she remembered. It made me think we sometimes fix things too much. Has anyone else had a job where the client's memory was more important than a 'perfect' finish?
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garcia.laura1mo ago
Man, that's the kind of comment that would make me put down the sander and just stare at the wall for a minute lol. We get so caught up in making everything look brand new and flawless, but sometimes the whole point is the little scratches and that weird orange tint from 1972. It's like we're trying to erase the story to make it "perfect," but the story is the good part. Gotta remember we're not just fixing furniture, we're fixing memories, even if the stain is a little off.
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the_andrew1mo ago
Yeah, that's a really good point. It makes me wonder, how do you even start that conversation with a client? Like, do you straight up ask "what's the memory here" before you even sand it, or do you wait for them to offer it? I'd be worried about messing up the vibe they're trying to get back.
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