An idea out of the top drawer

Kim Braddock started her business after struggling to find colourful furniture for her daughter. Picture / Reuters.

An at-home mum wanting a creative outlet started painting children's wall tiles and drawer knobs last year with the view to selling them on Trade Me.

Much to Kim Braddock's surprise, they sold like hotcakes - even the $30 items. But it wasn't until she battled to find colourful, reasonably-priced bedroom furniture for 3-year-old daughter Kate that she realised she'd come up with a business idea.

At first, Braddock turned her painting skills to recycled furniture. She then started sourcing plain wooden furniture made from MDF, which she spray-paints.

The items include chests of drawers, shelves, side tables and bed heads.

Until last month this was all done in the garage but when there was no more room for the cars, the dining room table had became an art studio and the kitchen sink was full of paint brushes, she decided it was time to set up shop elsewhere.

Now she works five days a week from a small warehouse in Mairangi Bay.

With a painted set of drawers priced at around $300, Giddy Giraffe is aimed at the mid-market and Braddock thinks the product has hit the button - being affordable and durable but not too precious.

Giraffe sells about 30 of the larger furniture items a week and that number is growing quickly. Sales have come purely through word of mouth.

In three weeks, a new website has paid for itself and attracted 4500 hits.

"I just can't believe where people are finding us," said Braddock.

Her aim is to double turnover by the end of the year.

To keep up, Braddock will have to hire staff and she plans to employ other parents who can benefit from the available flexibility.

The 33-year-old, formerly from South Africa, was previously a human resources manager at a recruitment company in Britain.

More recently, she owned and ran a pet shop in Mairangi Bay.

The biggest thing she has learned in her latest venture is that it is OK to say no to furniture orders.

"I used to say 'yes' all the time but I've got to be a bit stronger and learned to work within my capacity," Braddock says.

At the start, she used to work all hours to accommodate orders..

She has now spends five days a week painting, with Saturday mornings open for pick-ups.

Her husband, Hayden, an accountant, takes care of the numbers allowing Braddock to focus on the creative side.

She plans to build the business so she can offer a complete bedroom, including soft furnishings, as she thinks Kiwis are following the American trend of liking everything to match.