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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Tuesday, 26 September 2006 |
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Inside Wadoo Furniture Co., zany and bright colors in abstract shapes and designs delicately coat wooden tables and stools. The upbeat energetic furniture shop is the latest news in Amy Bernard Satterfield’s life.
After working in the journalism department at Colorado State University for 13 years, Satterfield, 45, realized the only thing better would be to work for herself.
“I’ve always really liked painted furniture because it’s fun and bright,” she said.
However, creative furniture is not always easy to find. Satterfield and her husband began collecting original pieces a few years back.
“In our home, we have a lot,” she said. “I don’t even worry if it goes together.”
With no business or art background, Satterfield opened Wadoo Furniture Co., 314 E. Mountain Ave. Suite 104, relying on her journalism instincts to guide her.
Her sharp research skills aided her in locating artists from around the nation. From there, her refined interview skills helped her connect with the artists and make arrangements to carry their work. Finally, her public relations experiences assisted her in getting the word out about her store.
Still, Satterfield hasn’t been without challenges. In October, she broke her back and she’s still limited in what she can do.
“That scared the hell out of me because here I was opening my own furniture store,” she said.
But with the help of students, friends and family, she made it work.
Wadoo Furniture Co. sells custom furniture ranging from $100 to $4,500. In addition, the store offers a variety of other gifts for less than $100 such as mirrors, lamps, ceramics and jewelry.
“I figure, you have to have furniture so why not combine that and make furniture your art,” she said. “I just want to get wonderful colorful furniture into people’s homes so they don’t have to live with boring junk.”
What is it about this job that makes it challenging? Makes you get out of bed in the morning?
A mix of fear and excitement drives me out of bed each morning like an electric cattle prod.
Things that impress you?
I’m impressed by honesty and wit, especially in the same sentence, and kindness anywhere.
Things that don’t.
I’d sound like a real snot if I told you everything that doesn’t impress me, so suffice it to say I’m not impressed with boring, ordinary furniture.
How do young/new employees get ahead?
I’m middle-aged, and I’ve never gotten ahead, so I have no idea how young people do it.
Did you ever think in a million years you’d work here?
No. I would never have thought such a ridiculous thing.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you do?
I’d still be teaching at CSU, which is a far more sensible and noble thing to be doing than running an art furniture store.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done while at work?
The stupidest thing I’ve ever done at Wadoo was to gasp and sound incredulous when a customer’s order came to more than $1,000. Bless her heart, that customer coached me on how to smile and just say “thank you.”
Smartest?
The smartest thing I ever did was follow her instructions.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever done to make money?
I used to judge the Butler County Fair Queen contest every summer in Iowa.
Any interesting anecdotes?
Well, after the fair officials fed me and the beauty contestants a lunch that made a Lean Cuisine seem like the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Charco Broiler, I‘d choose the queen and give her roses on a podium, thus signaling the start of the fair and the tractor pull. One family had a history of fair queenliness, and its matriarch would lose her mind if I didn’t choose her offspring. Because I never chose them, I’d have to thrust the roses into the new queen’s arms, run from the podium through the farm implements and around the corn-on-a-stick booth, and get to my car before the mad matriarch could catch me to demand “three good reasons” her daughter/niece/neighbor wasn’t queenworthy. I’d wear Nikes with my dress so I could outrun her. She was very creepy.
What’s the one thing you wish you could do on the job that you can’t right now?
Leave. Once the store opens, I’m in jail until it closes.
What do you do during your breaks?
Pretend I have them?
What’s one thing about your job you would do, even if you weren’t paid to do it?
The whole thing. I haven’t gotten paid yet, and it’s been four months. I’d complain, but I’m very difficult to talk to.
Name one thing in your life that really prepared you for your job.
False confidence. I’m still not prepared for this job, but I think I am.
What’s the biggest payoff in your job?
Being my own boss. Surrounding myself with very cool furniture. Meeting people without giving them a grade. Ringing up sales and listening to the little register calculate the total.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I love to cook, read, walk, drink wine and be with my husband and daughter.
Pets? Family?
We have two American Indian dogs— Wapi and Taqa. My husband and daughter are my favorite people in the world — Paul and Mari.
Favorite TV shows. Movies. Books.
My favorite TV show is the “Colbert Report”; I like movies and books that are funny and shallow.
What Web sites do you have bookmarked?
I’ve never figured out how to delete bookmarks, so I don’t make them in the first place.
Where do you play? Go out to eat?
I play in my backyard and in the mountains. My favorite restaurants are Enzios, Canyon Chop House and Pulcinellas.
Favorite spot?
Cathedral Point, Canyonlands, Utah. It’s where Paul and I got married— at the end of a jeep trail on a cliff lurching out over Lavender and Davis canyons. | Only registered users can write comments.
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