DoubleArrowDesigns

We are two sisters, Susan and Nicole, who started Double Arrow Designs out of a love for design and crafts. Although we grew up two decades apart, we spent our years together experimenting with a variety of projects such as oil painting, baking, reupholstering chairs, and sewing. We always fantasized about starting a creative business together, but life always seemed to get in the way. It was not until our world was turned upside down that we realized we needed to have this outlet in our lives.

In late October, 2012 Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc through our hometown, Rockaway Beach. The seawater flooded our homes and we spent weeks cleaning out debris and months rebuilding. A month after the hurricane, our father was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma. What started with monthly chemo treatments quickly progressed into month-long hospital visits and later into goodbyes. He passed away a little over a year after his diagnosis, and our family was wrought with sadness. A month later, we decided to start a new project–delve into a craft where we could express ourselves. Our father always taught us to pursue what made us happy and emphasized that “life is for the living”. We realized that we have a knack for seeing potential in the ordinary, so we started redesigning furniture to sell on etsy. First, we searched for well made, wooden furniture on Craigslist and then started sanding, painting, and decoupaging.

We came up with our name, Double Arrow Designs, from a passage in The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran, a book that discusses the human condition. In the chapter “On Children” he explores the relationship between parent and child. He likens the parent to an archer and the children to the arrows. When we wrote out our name, “Double Arrow Designs,” we realized that the acronym spells D.A.D. Our name represents us as sisters and alludes to the role of our father. After much hard work, we are extremely excited to share our designs and projects with you!