THEN: Irish Country Living first met Joanne Condon in 2013, to talk about her furniture upcycling business. Since then, the Tipperary woman has been a regular contributor to the paper with her colourful and creative DIY series.
NOW: While Joanne started off selling upcycled furniture and doing personal commissions at Kyle Lane in Clonmel, demand for her DIY workshops led her to close her shop and go on the road teaching classes nationwide, especially after the launch of her first book, Furniture Crush.
While Joanne started off selling upcycled furniture and doing personal commissions at Kyle Lane in Clonmel, demand for her DIY workshops led her to close her shop and take to the road teaching classes nationwide, especially after the launch of her first book 'Furniture Crush'. \ Philip Doyle
“With the workshops, I just enjoy them so much and I get so much out of them,” says Joanne, who lives on a dairy farm with her husband Vinny.
“I can see people coming in really nervous and leaving really confident. I think that is really an addictive feeling for me, because I can see somebody gaining confidence in one day and then going home and sending me a picture of the kitchen they would have painted at the weekend, and being so satisfied with doing that.
“I felt like I was teaching something with a real purpose. No matter if it was six months or six weeks after the workshop, that they had the confidence to tackle anything in their house.”
I felt like I was teaching something with a real purpose
March to August are usually Joanne’s busiest months for workshops, but COVID-19 meant she has had to cancel everything for the foreseeable future. However, she has decided to embrace the uncertainty and evolve.
“As a business person, I’m finding it really interesting to look at how other businesses are dealing with it and how they’re pivoting and how they have changed. It excites me really, because I think I have to adapt, I have to change - what’s the best way that I can do that?” says Joanne.
As a business person, I’m finding it really interesting to look at how other businesses are dealing with it
“I know there’s a lot of uncertainty - everyone is talking about the recession that’s going to come that hasn’t come yet, but I suppose I don’t have that fear because my business at the start was built off a recession.”
In response to this challenge, Joanne is planning to bring her furniture workshops online, where she will teach participants everything from the importance of prepping and priming to techniques like creating geometric designs, applying gold-leaf and creating the ombré effect.
“Online, time is on your side. You can get more detailed description and you can show it a lot better,” says Joanne, but adds that she will also offer more basic courses as well e.g. on how to paint a kitchen chair.
They’ll be very small and that will be my problem, because my insurance, my room hire and the expense of travelling will all be the same
Later in the year, she hopes to return to the road to provide in-person workshops, though acknowledges there will be challenges because of social distancing.
“They’ll be very small and that will be my problem, because my insurance, my room hire and the expense of travelling will all be the same - but I still will,” says Joanne, adding that safety will be to the fore.
Ultimately, however, she hopes that given the amount of time that people have spent at home during lockdown, there will be demand for her courses.
“It’s so important to be in a home that you love being in,” she concludes.
Visit www.joannecondon.com
THEN: Irish Country Living first met Joanne Condon in 2013, to talk about her furniture upcycling business. Since then, the Tipperary woman has been a regular contributor to the paper with her colourful and creative DIY series.
NOW: While Joanne started off selling upcycled furniture and doing personal commissions at Kyle Lane in Clonmel, demand for her DIY workshops led her to close her shop and go on the road teaching classes nationwide, especially after the launch of her first book, Furniture Crush.
While Joanne started off selling upcycled furniture and doing personal commissions at Kyle Lane in Clonmel, demand for her DIY workshops led her to close her shop and take to the road teaching classes nationwide, especially after the launch of her first book 'Furniture Crush'. \ Philip Doyle
“With the workshops, I just enjoy them so much and I get so much out of them,” says Joanne, who lives on a dairy farm with her husband Vinny.
“I can see people coming in really nervous and leaving really confident. I think that is really an addictive feeling for me, because I can see somebody gaining confidence in one day and then going home and sending me a picture of the kitchen they would have painted at the weekend, and being so satisfied with doing that.
“I felt like I was teaching something with a real purpose. No matter if it was six months or six weeks after the workshop, that they had the confidence to tackle anything in their house.”
I felt like I was teaching something with a real purpose
March to August are usually Joanne’s busiest months for workshops, but COVID-19 meant she has had to cancel everything for the foreseeable future. However, she has decided to embrace the uncertainty and evolve.
“As a business person, I’m finding it really interesting to look at how other businesses are dealing with it and how they’re pivoting and how they have changed. It excites me really, because I think I have to adapt, I have to change - what’s the best way that I can do that?” says Joanne.
As a business person, I’m finding it really interesting to look at how other businesses are dealing with it
“I know there’s a lot of uncertainty - everyone is talking about the recession that’s going to come that hasn’t come yet, but I suppose I don’t have that fear because my business at the start was built off a recession.”
In response to this challenge, Joanne is planning to bring her furniture workshops online, where she will teach participants everything from the importance of prepping and priming to techniques like creating geometric designs, applying gold-leaf and creating the ombré effect.
“Online, time is on your side. You can get more detailed description and you can show it a lot better,” says Joanne, but adds that she will also offer more basic courses as well e.g. on how to paint a kitchen chair.
They’ll be very small and that will be my problem, because my insurance, my room hire and the expense of travelling will all be the same
Later in the year, she hopes to return to the road to provide in-person workshops, though acknowledges there will be challenges because of social distancing.
“They’ll be very small and that will be my problem, because my insurance, my room hire and the expense of travelling will all be the same - but I still will,” says Joanne, adding that safety will be to the fore.
Ultimately, however, she hopes that given the amount of time that people have spent at home during lockdown, there will be demand for her courses.
“It’s so important to be in a home that you love being in,” she concludes.
Visit www.joannecondon.com
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: