Karolina Kmieć has graduated from the faculty of architecture. She runs her company: ToTu Pracownia from Chojna – her hometown, but all the sales are made via the Internet.

 

“My store offers renovated upholstered armchairs and chairs that remember the times of the communist Poland, hand-made cushions, candlesticks and photo frames,” she enumerates. She has her own website totupracownia.pl, and she sells her products through other online portals specializing in Polish handiwork, such as DaWanda. Karolina Kmieć also restores old furniture to order.

 

“There is a lot of potential in old bric-a-brac. It is beautiful and I simply love the idea of being able to restore such pieces to life,” she adds. She looks for the right kind of upholstery in her favourite warehouses. “I need to feel and personally check every fabric. I pore over photos of old armchairs for hours, I examine potential combinations of various colours and textures. In this way I come up with new ideas,” she reveals.

 

Even though she has taken a training course in upholstery, for the time being she outsources all the work to professionals. She regularly cooperates with a carpenter and her fiance and her family help out with the tougher jobs at the workshop.

 

Karolina Kmieć set up her business a year ago using a EU subsidy for first business (she received PLN 21 thousand). “I spent the money on the equipment necessary to start the company, including a lightweight laptop for field work, a camera and a cash register,” she says. She paid for the rest, i.e. the goods (armchairs, fabrics and wood for photo frames) and some of the equipment, out of her own pocket.

 

“I have also wanted to run my own business and work flexible hours. After I graduated from the Faculty of Architecture, Poznań University of Technology, I decided to take a risk and try to make a living from what I love doing most,” she admits.  That is why she devotes all her waking hours to her work. “I find running my own business rather difficult so far, but apparently, it is not unusual when someone starts her own company,” she muses.

 

When asked about the obstacles she encounters most often, Karolina Kmieć admits that it is difficult to get through to customers and gain their trust. “Persuading people that unique, hand-made furniture – even if a bit more expensive - is much more interesting than run-of-the-mill factory pieces tends to be hard work,” she concludes.

 

Her customers usually look for specific kinds of armchairs or chairs, items with history. One of a kind piece of furniture from Karolina Kmieć costs approx. PLN 800 – 1200. “Renovating each specific armchair requires a lot of time and effort. These are real gems that add character to your decor , and you cannot overestimate how much the overall effect is improved,” she observes. For those who want to give their apartment a distinctive flavour without splurging, the store offers cushions, photo frames and candlesticks at the price of PLN 25-75 per piece. “I hope that such items will make it possible for me to reach out to a broader group of customers,” she says. With this aim in mind, she takes part in fairs, such as Design Days w OFF Marinie.

 

Karolina Kmieć plans to extend the range of candlesticks and photo frames she has on offer. “I would also like to have a brick-and-mortar store or a workshop open to customers and visitors," she plans.

 

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