loot they were looking for, and their price range. The first few months we gathered a lot of ‘purchasing knowledge’ and realized that there was a great demand for finding vintage treasures, assisting with interior design projects, doing house visits, and creating custom furniture.
H&S: What are your plans for the future of Farmyard Darlings? FD: We anticipate a continued, steady financial growth, more
H&S: What makes customers love Farmyard Darlings? FD: There are several things. Farmyard Darlings specializes in
H&S: What is your history with horses? Kim: I grew up trying to ride anything that wasn’t tied down. I
items with a farmyard flair. Working with several local furniture artisans, we have our own product line of custom furniture (i.e. benches, farm tables, coffee tables, swings, barn doors, arbors, barn wood bars, mantels, etc.). We provide services that aren’t necessarily available with other shops: we will assist with country themed events (i.e. weddings, birthdays, etc.), stage houses prior to a sale, conduct house visits, and rent our products. And we give back to the community by donating to local schools and participating in non-profit events.
H&S: Since its inception, how has the business grown? FD: We’ve grown in many ways. In the beginning we had guest
vendors to fill the space in the shop. Now all Farmyard Darlings products are curated, created, and/or designed by us. We started with one (borrowed) truck, and we now have four trucks and a trailer. Our mailing list has grown exponentially year after year; it’s now over 5,000. Our monthly gross sales and customer attendance numbers have increased month over month. At the beginning we were only selling vintage items from the shop, but we now offer custom barn wood furniture, rent our loot for birthdays and special events, and conduct design ‘get ‘er done’ house visits. In 2015, we sold above and beyond our expectations of custom farm tables, benches, chalkboards, American flags, and barn doors, grossing more in December than in any month since our inception. We have a coffee table book, we did a pitch/sizzle reel for TV networks and have heard back (stay tuned), and we have a website.
H&S: What other services does Farmyard Darlings provide? FD: We work with stagers, realtors, designers, event planners, and individuals who want custom furniture built and/or rented. With our popular house visit service called ‘GET ‘ER DONE,’ we will add a little bit of farmilicious flair to any style home.
relationships with vendors and customers, increased media attention, and a continuing demand for custom furniture.
would make bridles out of rope and jump on any horse. I had no real background; I just knew that I loved them. Horses trusted me because I trusted them. Obviously, they are good judges of character! Now I’m a trail rider extraordinaire and ride 5-7 times a week. And I will still get on just about any horse! Carole: I grew up riding English (mostly Hunters and eventually Jumpers) and being around horses because it was the only thing that was important to me. I dreamt of riding, and my parents were supportive because they realized that this just might be something that would keep me out of trouble during my teenage years. (It did.) Now I’m really loving Cowboy Dressage clinics and trail riding. Anything to learn something new while connecting with my horse!
H&S: How have horses inspired your store? FD: Everything that we are and do has been somehow related to
horses and what they taught us from childhood into adulthood. They have given us the confidence to move forward, trust our instincts, keep alert, forgive, but most importantly, to be a good partner.
If you love the rural ranch-style aesthetic, all things horsey, and authentic country chic, that and more can be found at:
Farmyard Darlings Furniture 3295 Mt. Diablo Boulevard Lafayette, California 94549
Farmyard Darlings Mercantile & Gifts 20 Lafayette Circle in downtown Lafayette
WWW.FARMYARDDARLINGS.COM
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