FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE + LEISURE
You might call this an unlikely trio , but fate might say otherwise . Former Houston Texan and Chicago Bear linebacker ( and design aficionado at heart ), DARRYL SHARPTON always knew he needed a “ plan B .” So when his wife gently nudged him towards his modern furniture interest , he headed to a furniture fair in High Point , NC , not really knowing what to expect . As fate would have it , after wandering the fair , he landed in a seat at an exhibitor ’ s booth , really just to rest . But as he started talking to IVO and TURKER ( the proprietors of said booth ), they realized they had a lot in common . Houston , for one . They all lived in Houston and they all wanted to start a furniture business . In March 2016 , they opened TB3 Home in East Downtown and took to turning the standard online furniture platform on its head .
What sets them apart besides the fact that they ’ re local ? There ’ s no middleman . They manufacture their own furniture and sell it directly to the consumer , which allows them to keep retail prices really , really low . The furniture is wellmade , mid-century modern in its aesthetic and monochromatic . Sharpton shares , “ Some models we design ourselves , inspired by popular mid-century models but we put our own spin on it .” TB3home also listens to customer feedback . Color ways are based on customer preferences and market trends , popular colors have been blues and various shades of greys , but Sharpton notes , “ We have found it virtually impossible to sell brown colored fabric . People seem to stay away from it like it has cooties .”
The trio feed off each other ’ s energy and has been consistently selling out of production lines , since their opening in March of 2016 . Their energy is contagious and I found it so refreshing to be with people who truly love what they are doing . Among the many things Sharpton has learned in the short months since launching is “ the value of business partners , and using everyone ’ s strengths collectively . It ’ s not as much about mitigating your financial risk as it is about having awesome synergy and having a diverse team where everyone has different strengths to throw into the pot , someone has to be the OCD money manager who makes sure everything is accounted for , someone needs to be the creative risk-taker , someone needs to know Quickbooks and someone needs to know Facebook and social media .”
Their warehouse in EaDo is open to the public ; just remember it is a warehouse and it ’ s hot . But the quality , pricing and designs are worth it .
www . tb3home . com july 16 | L O C A L 59