The artist within
Chasing a dream...
Hi Everyone! Welcome to our site and welcome to our journey! I have always had a very fond and deep appreciation for art, design, creative expression and making things. I'm a serial do-it-yourselfer (DIYer)! Nearly a decade ago, I jumped head first into painting, restoring and making over furniture as a hobby but quickly fell in love with it. So, I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own business and well, just go for it!
This page will provide you with an introduction to me, our business and our inner why.
About Us
Hi Everyone! My name is Tracy and I'm the founder of Rabbit & The Oak and run the business with my husband Brian. I've been painting and restoring furniture for nearly a decade and absolutely love it! My business aims to reimagine, redesign and revive furniture and curate home décor to help my customers create the look they want in their style, their colors, and their vision.
My love for interior design always revolved around furniture. I love furniture! As a child with a humble upbringing, my grandma (and favorite person!) always had nice furniture that I admired, even at a young age. I've always found the fine quality and craftsmanship of an antique to be far superior to anything available in mainstream stores. I find anything with intrinsic value - from people to furniture - worth investing in to help their inner beauty shine through when most people overlook it.
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How It All Began
My furniture makeover journey began when my first daughter was born. I bought a French Provincial dresser at a Philadelphia flea market for $65 and painted it with white chalk paint for her nursery. After that, I began painting furniture on the side but only within the margins because as a full time employee, spouse and mother of three there wasn't a lot of time I could devote to my artistic passion.
(And here it is...the one that started it all!)
I've been an artist all my life but never thought furniture would be my canvas! I started my college career in the Interior Design Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. I was, and still am, passionate about creating spaces that invite and calm the soul. However, an undeniable calling to create a better world and 'calm the souls' of those in need took me down a path of higher calling.
I changed college majors and eventually became a social worker for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia. When my husband and I thought about starting a family of our own, I moved into Corporate Social Responsibility and had the privilege of donating millions to important causes and non-profit organizations. And while that work was very gratifying, I still felt that there was another, more authentic self and inner peace yet to be discovered within me. I needed to CREATE!
What's In a Name?
Luckily, I was able to find opportunity in the midst of the tragedy caused by the global pandemic and seized my moment. I was laid off from my job in fundraising and began painting furniture as often as I could. Everything I did, sold - quickly. I started to get so much positive feedback, which was just the fuel I needed to run with this newfound freedom to create. Before I knew it, Rabbit & The Oak was born!
A lot of people ask about the name and how it came to be. When Brian and I started dating over 10 years ago, he gave me the nickname "Rabbit". It was the perfect moniker to describe my restless nature. I was always curiously hopping from one thing to the next, always exploring new and creative things. He hasn't called me by my real name since.
So as we were thinking of names for our business, we started with Rabbit. "The Oak" easily followed. Brian is my oak. He's the strong, unmovable force always at my back. His strength wraps around our family and keeps us safe and secure and he is always providing and nurturing us the way an oak does for the forest and all that rely upon it. I am the Rabbit and he is The Oak. Together, we represent a balance and a blend of creative ingenuity and boundless dreams with inner strength, courage and integrity.
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Since 2020 when Rabbit & The Oak was born, we've been helping people transform their houses into homes with furniture that expresses who they are and their particular styles. We make old new again and help people curate and design the perfect furniture for just about any space. We focus on service, guarantee our customer's satisfaction and do our best along the way to inspire anyone else who might have a dream to just go for it!
One day, we intend to have a store front, but until then we are just enjoying the opportunity to work with so many wonderful customers and help them bring their visions to life.
What's Different When You Work With Us?
Rabbit & The Oak is a business built around hand crafted quality, artistic design and ensuring our customers are satisfied with our work. We aim to delight and always guarantee the satisfaction of every job we take on.
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High quality craftsmanship
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Detailed artistic designs
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Satisfaction guaranteed
Additionally, we pride ourselves in helping customers make the best choices for their home. We spend the time to consult, inquire and guide our customers towards the right piece, colors and style until their happy. As a small, family run business, you'll get responsive, reliable service you can trust.
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Fast & responsive
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Consultative design advice
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Service you can rely on
Craftsmanship You Can Trust
12+ Years
Nearly a decade of experience.
200+ Pieces
I've worked with just about every type of furniture.
5 Stars
Average 5 star rating for all of my jobs
Our Design Process
High quality, artistic design
Reimagine
We work with you to choose the perfect style, colors, hardware and finishes…
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Redesign
Then we bring that vision to life through a lot of hard work, painting, fixing, artistic design and most importantly, attention to detail…​
Revive
And finally, we celebrate a piece or room reborn, styled for you & ready to be loved again!
What Our Customers Are Saying...
Lauren & Liam
A timeless dresser
"Rabbit & The Oak is the absolute best way to furnish your home! Tracy is a true artist that has a way of capturing the essence of your style and consistently produces timeless pieces that will far exceed your expectations."
Doris
Sailor blue dresser
"I just wanted to say thank you!! It's perfect!!! It's exactly what I wanted!! Thanks again!"
David
Waterfall dresser for the ages
"Purchasing with Tracy was a pleasure. She was very professional, friendly, and even allowed me to fully view and interact with the piece, in person, before purchase. Her customer service is truly top notch. Highly recommended!"
Forever grateful...
I don’t know where I'd be without the loving support and devotion from my customers and the entire Rabbit & The Oak community. They give me inspiration to keep going, to keep chasing my dream and I couldn't be happier when someone sees their piece of refinished furniture for the first time.
My aim is to always delight the customers I am so fortunate to work with and nothing could be more satisfying than when they take the time to tell me how happy they are with my work.
Without all of you, my business wouldn't exist which is why I always guarantee your satisfaction. It's that important.
Thank you all!
Why We Do It?
We believe in unlocking potential by reimagining, redesigning and refinishing beautiful vintage furniture and home décor. Inspired by wabi-sabi, we are passionate about the act of creating something new and bringing life to something old and forgotten.
Rabbit & The Oak strives to find inner beauty in imperfection and our work aims to restore and revive high quality furniture into timeless pieces people can enjoy for many more years to come. Our work aims to help you make your home something to cherish, and a reflection of you. Because why shouldn’t it be?!
Home Is Where My Heart Is
I currently live with my family in Ridgefield, CT. It is a beautiful little colonial town nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires and only about an hour from New York City. It's historic New England charm compliments the rustic, farmhouse look of the furniture I create.
