Meet Jasmine Holloway of Sunflower Refinishings in North Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Holloway.

Jasmine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first picked up my paintbrush at my in-laws home in their garage back in Kansas City. I was trying to create something beautiful with the large coffee table from the basement after my two-year-old at the time had his way with the red and purple Crayola crayons. I didn’t have many hobbies, and I was just thinking what could I do to make this table stand out again. I began researching types of stains and paints. I didn’t even realize at the time what an electric sander would mean to me today. So I began to strip the table little by little. The more I stripped off the little scribbles, and the light-colored wood, the more I began to see what I was really capable of. I ended up creating this beautiful coffee table that was stained with an amazing dark wood, and vibrant white sides that made the new stain just pop. I was so happy with the turnout, I loved my new hobby.

Over time, I continued to do more of my own pieces. Then of course life happened, I was diagnosed with Epilepsy and I had to put down my brush, to focus on my health and my family. Fast forward to five years and two more kids later. I find myself in Phoenix due to my job in Kansas transferring out here. I was homesick, didn’t have a lot of friends, and working as an insurance adjuster handling the day to day claims for vehicle accidents. I still felt like there was something missing. I wanted to paint. I wanted to make something beautiful again. I made a post on one of my mom groups just to get a “feeler”. I was curious what people in the valley would pay to have furniture refinished. One mom reached out to me needing a shelf her husband’s mother had left him. It was old, just your standard wood color. Nothing crazy.

So, I decided to take the project on. I loved what I was doing. I completed the shelf pretty quickly, and thankfully they loved it! It so happened that this customer also has a family that owns a large Montessori school in the valley, and the word spread fast. So I started doing pieces for the school, and then I did more pieces for the faculty and their family. I never would have imagined it blow up like this! With the amount of people that I had messaging me, I decided it was time to make a Facebook business page. I called it “Sunflower Refinishings”. I chose Sunflower, because of my home state Kansas- the wild sunflower is the state flower. I just had to tie something back to home. I’m still doing my pieces for people on the patio of my small two-bedroom apartment. But it works out. It makes me happy to be able to just transform pieces for my customers and seeing their reaction receiving their “new” furniture. And I enjoy doing it. Today, I’m taking it step by step. I hope one day I’ll be able to buy a house, and just have a huge garage for my workshop. I think then. I’d really be able to take off. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing now and stay positive. Don’t ever doubt yourself. I keep trying to take my own advice with that. But if you REALLY want it, you can get it. You just have to chase it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been mostly a smooth road. Of course, there were some issues health wise with my epilepsy that I had to get ironed out, but honestly, it’s been ok 🙂

Please tell us about Sunflower Refinishings.
I specialize in refinishing furniture and I have the ability to reupholster certain types of chairs and stools. I haven’t quite mastered reupholstering a full chair quite yet. So right now I stick to dining room chairs 🙂

I’m most proud of how far I’ve come with chasing after what I love. I think it’s important to get yourself out there and meet people and tell the world who you are. I think what sets me apart from others is me. I’m a small-town midwestern girl trying to make it in a big city. I love to give hugs. I’ll say hi to you just because. I love to see people happy and smile. It’s just who I am.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If anything, I wish I would have started sooner!

Contact Info:

• Address: 35th Ave & Greenway
• Phone: 913-515-3944
• Email: holloway.j90@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunflowerrefinishings/

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