Prior to Clint Harp’s chance meeting with Chip Gaines at a Waco convenience store, his fine furniture company didn’t set the forest on fire.
“In our first summer, I think I made two tables, maybe three, and I made a bed. We haven’t sold any of it. We gave away a few pieces,” Harp said, laughing, during a phone interview. “It wasn’t very lucrative back then.”
But returning to Houston and selling drugs was not a serious option for him. His garage became his workshop. He built things out of scrap wood, finding pallets here and there and tearing them down. He spent free hours building houses with Habitat for Humanity.
But the change came in its time. A chance meeting with Chip Gaines at a gas station meant Harp Design Co. would thrive alongside Chip and Joanna Gaines’ hit reality show Fixer Upper. When the world learned that Clint was the Gaineses’ favorite carpenter and that he and his wife, Kelly, manufactured and marketed furniture, fans flocked to their North Waco neighborhood.
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“Chip and Joanna were our first clients,” Harp said. “Next thing you know, we make things for other people. Then ‘Fixer Upper’ started and I was the featured carpenter on the show ‘Upper’ took off and we did our part, contributed. We hit a nerve. Now fast forward to today.”
On Friday, Clint Harp confirmed that he and Kelly are closing shop as furniture makers. They have three children and Kelly is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Clint will continue work on Restoration Road, a documentary to be aired on Magnolia Network that follows him traveling the length and breadth of America finding and exploring beautifully restored old homes, barns and other buildings.
“We’re shooting a new season. I arrived from Maine at 2:30 this morning,” said Harp, whose shows are produced by Big Table Media.
Clint Harp: Restoration Road – Official Trailer | Magnolia Network
A Facebook post explains why the Harps decided to go in a different direction with their Harp Design Co. Bottom line, her cup is overflowing with commitments, and something had to give up.
“For over a decade, we’ve had the privilege of filling homes across the United States — and even abroad — with products we made and loved,” the post reads. “Thank you for giving us this opportunity. Nonetheless, after much thought and deliberation, we have decided it is time to close the doors of Harp Design Co…. On the one hand this is a sad and difficult decision, on the other hand this is an exciting step forward in what HDC will do next could become.”
It continues by thanking customers, “whether you bought a candle holder, a cutting board, a handcrafted table or any of the other products we believed in so much. Thank you also to everyone who has been a part of the development and growth of HDC over the years – you meant the world.”
Logistically, the store and windows will be closed after close of business on January 20th. The team is completing some products but not taking new orders. Ready-made tables are available for purchase on the company’s website.
The Harps are selling the former Four Star Manufacturing Co. building on Franklin Ave. 1316, which served as their primary wood shop. Listing agent Gregg Glime said although the property has only just come on the market, he is already giving tours for prospective buyers. Glime said he takes a different approach to finding a buyer and is directing prospects to submit an offer by Friday.
The price for the 9,900-square-foot 1926 building is $595,000, according to a marketing brochure circulating Glime.
“I think it’s suitable for woodworking, but I also think it would be suitable for contractors or businesses that need industrial space, assembly and distribution,” Glime said Friday. “Our deadline for accepting offers is one week today. I will not have done my job if we do not receive an acceptable offer.”
His marketing brochure expands on the list of potential uses, saying, “With the shop frontage and warehousing available, the property is perfect as retail, restaurant or office space.” Neighbors include Dealers Electrical Supply, First Methodist Church and Waco Habitat Restore, according to the tender.
Glime said while he hasn’t made a formal listing, he will also be looking for a buyer for Harp Design Co.’s headquarters at 808 N. 15th St. He said it will be priced at over $300,000. He said it would be ideal to find a buyer for both buildings, but they are separate deals.
Harp also said he will be offering a warehouse sale of tools, shipping supplies and housewares for the next few weeks.
“Sometimes a chapter closes,” Harp said. “We have found our limits. Why don’t we focus on things that bring us the most joy, give us a passion, bring us to life? There are tears…but we love what we’ve created over the years, things that people put in their homes. They trusted us with that responsibility.”
Carla Pendergraft, who markets the Waco Convention Center, said Harp Design will continue to hold a place in the public’s heart.
“Harp Design has definitely been a regular stop for visitors who have enjoyed the ‘Magnolia Trail’ in Waco,” Pendergraft said via email. “But openly or not, visitors will still drop by the property to take photos and see it in person, just like they do with The Castle.
“So it’s not ‘lost’ for Waco. And their Restoration Road Show has the potential to reach new visitors to Waco.”
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