Today we’d like to introduce you to Faith Veenstra.
Faith, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We are a husband and wife team with diverse training and experience in the arts. We studied art together in undergrad and we’ve been collaborating ever since. Faith has a Master’s Degree in studio arts and Chris is the Co-Founder and Creative Director at a branding agency in Chicago called Cultivate Brands. While creating Tramake together we get to bring our individual talents to the table and make products we truly love.
Tramake began in 2015 with a line of printed canvas and wood wall art pieces. We worked for many months on product development and released our table top line in 2016. We added carved walnut trays first, followed by our printed wood coasters and trivets. Next we added bottle openers and printed wood serving trays. We have some ideas in the works for more fun additions to our line later this year. Stay tuned!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have been incredibly lucky. It helps to have such a strong connected community of creatives and entrepreneurs in Chicago. Stores like Modern Cooperative and local events like Show of Hands Chicago gave us some of our first opportunities to introduce ourselves to the community of art and small business supporters in this city. Since then, we have been so grateful to work with West Elm in Chicago, The Richard Driehaus Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Museum Store.
The struggles often come along with growth. There’s always something new to learn about running a small business. As we grew quickly in the first 18 months, it became clear we could only grow so much if we had to personally make every single one of our products at every stage of making. So we had to learn how to let go. This isn’t always easy for creative people. We can be very detail oriented. But, we needed to know what to hang on to and what to outsource. These growing pains weren’t always easy or fun, but they have always proven worth the trouble. We are consistently presented with new opportunities that we would not have been able to pursue unless we had continued to challenge ourselves to make the necessary changes in order to grow. This is exactly what we try to keep in mind whenever these new growing pains arise. It’s always a little scary but also, always worth it.
Tramake – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We feel strongly that great design can and should be accessible. We apply this principle to everything that we make. We develop original surface designs that are well thought out and have a layered relationship to art and design history. Inspired by the past, we challenge ourselves to keep moving forward.
We are also known for our giant coaster. These are exactly what they sound like; an 11” diameter coaster. We like to use them on the end tables in our house. Or as a centerpiece on a coffee table. They are also great as plate chargers, plant plates, mousepads, and trivets for a warm dish. They are such fun pieces, we are so pleased our customers like them as much as we like to make them. It’s also super fun when they come to us and tell how the new use they’ve found in their own homes for the giant coaster.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
We recently completed a custom collaboration with a new design concept store based in Paris, France. It’s thrilling to be reaching across the globe with our designs. We have also worked with retail customers as far as Lima, Peru and Berlin, Germany. As of this month, our work is officially more well-traveled than we are (yet!) and this is such a cool feeling. Hopefully we’re soon to follow!
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
We are so thrilled to have our coasters and bottle openers sold in the Museum of Contemporary Art Museum Store in Chicago. This museum store curates such a thoughtful and exciting selection of books, functional objects, jewelry and gifts. To have Tramake sold among this collection, in one of our most favorite museums in the world, is an honor. As young art students, Chris and I spent hours in the MCA. The Kerry James Marshal exhibit, Mastery, curated by the MCA in 2016 is hands-down the best painting exhibit we have ever seen in an art museum. To be a tiny part of what this institution is doing is a real dream come true.
Pricing:
- $30 for a set of 4 wood printed coasters
- $32 for one wood printed giant coaster
- $28 for one wood and steel bottle opener
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tramake.com
- Email: shoptramake@gmail.com
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