{"id":74868,"date":"2023-06-25T06:00:28","date_gmt":"2023-06-25T13:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=74868"},"modified":"2023-06-26T11:16:27","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T18:16:27","slug":"point-by-point-furniture-repair-ghermayn-baker-ghermayn-baker-christina-powers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/in-the-studio\/point-by-point-furniture-repair-ghermayn-baker-ghermayn-baker-christina-powers","title":{"rendered":"Weaving together culture and community through vintage furniture repair"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"In the studio with woven furniture repair artist Ghermayn Baker\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j71C0h0WQMM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Natural light floods into a small Cal Heights home bedroom, cascading over stacks of woven furniture\u2014frayed rush, splintered rattan, damaged Danish cord and threadbare shaker tape. The battered furniture is not on its way to the dump, but rather awaiting restoration by the now-calloused hands of Ghermayn Baker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For eight months, Baker and his wife Christina Powers\u2014both weary of the rat-race of corporate life\u2014have operated Point By Point Studio out of their historic home, with Powers handling more of the business aspect, while Baker focuses on restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was extremely burned out, and it was affecting me physically and mentally,\u201d Baker said. \u201cI knew I needed to take a break and, more importantly, find something that was much more value-aligned to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For his entire life, Baker, 32, was on a corporate career trajectory, he said. He moved from the East Coast to attend UCLA, which led him to marketing. By July 2020, Baker was hired into an executive position with Long Beach-based Human-I-T, a nonprofit that refurbishes donated computers and other technology to provide to low-income people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baker had always wanted to do good and, on paper, his new job seemed perfect. With the pandemic raging on, Human-I-T became a crucial partner with Long Beach Unified School District, providing computers and internet hotspots to countless students as education went online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Powers, 31, grew up in Seal Beach. She packed up and moved to attend Northwestern University and then worked around the country for 13 years, with long stints in New York and Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-74205\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"868\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Point-4453.jpg\" alt=\"homework studio Point by Point furniture repair.\" class=\"wp-image-74205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134225\/Point-4453.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134225\/Point-4453-300x217.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134225\/Point-4453-1024x741.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134225\/Point-4453-768x556.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134225\/Point-4453-149x108.jpg 149w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134225\/Point-4453-400x289.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ghermayn Baker and his wife Christina Powers in their home studio Point by Point furniture repair in Long Beach, Thursday, May 18, 2023. The studio specializes in woven furniture. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The pandemic, of course, put a stop to that. Being relegated to work from home in her tiny D.C. apartment, Powers said she quickly got burned out and decided to move back to the West Coast. She moved to Long Beach, where she had fond memories, and continued her corporate job remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI never had a home base until I moved to Long Beach,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Powers and Baker met in July 2021 and had their first date at HiroNori, the popular craft ramen joint in Bixby Knolls. They hit it off immediately. By November, they had moved into the Cal Heights home together. And by February 2022, they were married.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amid their whirlwind romance, Powers had enough of her corporate job, which she quit in September 2021. After years working as a business consultant with McKinsey &amp; Company, she decided to actually work for a small business\u2014Gusto Bread\u2014to get that first-hand, front-of-house experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Baker, whose long hours stole days with loved ones\u2014all while being far removed from the good his work was doing\u2014his tipping point came two days after the couple wed, when he quit his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having just married, the couple decided to enjoy some time together before they \u201cfigured it out,\u201d Baker said. In April, all their activity caught up to Baker, when he broke two bones in his foot in what he described only as a \u201cfreak accident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll of a sudden, I was just chillin\u2019 on the couch, couldn\u2019t do anything for like two months,\u201d Baker said. \u201cBut it was a blessing in disguise because it really allowed me to do something I\u2019ve always really wanted to: explore my artistic and creative side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up, Baker said he had loved sketching and building \u201ccrazy sculptures\u201d with popsicle sticks and toothpicks. So he started drawing, baking\u2014anything with his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Powers, while working at Gusto, still did a little consulting on the side. One of her clients was vintage furniture store Dazzles in the Palm Springs area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The couple would browse the store\u2019s inventory every time they ventured out to the desert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe noticed they had so much beautiful cane and rattan and bamboo furniture, but all of it was broken,\u201d Powers said. \u201cAnd they were struggling to find people who could fix it\u2014the folks they knew either had died or were retiring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With his days wide open due to his injury, Baker\u2019s interest was piqued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The couple bought some chairs from Dazzles and a book on caning from Amazon, and in May 2022, Baker caned his first chair. He said the process took him about 35 hours over several weeks. (The same job today would take him 16-20 hours, he noted.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI loved it,\u201d Baker said. \u201cIt really scratched that creative itch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-74209\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"777\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Point-4320.jpg\" alt=\"old brittle cane on a chair before threading new cane while working in his work studio.\" class=\"wp-image-74209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134234\/Point-4320.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134234\/Point-4320-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134234\/Point-4320-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134234\/Point-4320-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134234\/Point-4320-167x108.jpg 167w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134234\/Point-4320-400x259.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ghermayn Baker takes off old brittle cane from a chair before threading new cane while working in his work studio, Point by Point furniture repair in Long Beach, Thursday, May 18, 2023. The studio specializes in woven furniture. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The enjoyment and satisfaction he gained in his new hobby quickly grew, spawning the idea to turn the skill into a new career path that would offer the life he had longed for. Over the next six months, the couple did some market research, started branding and officially formed their business in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the aspects that appealed to the pair was the opposition to consumerism and the modern world\u2019s throw-away culture, which more often than not sees people throwing away broken or worn out goods, rather than fixing or restoring them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe live in a world that\u2019s really focused on production and consumption,\u201d Powers said. \u201cWe explicitly did not want to create new products\u2014we wanted to fix what already exists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Point By Point offers a variety of refurbishing services, and Baker is not shy about taking on new challenges. He will tackle anything weave-based, including various styles and patterns using different materials such as rattan, rush, Danish cord, shaker tape and bamboo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some pieces, such as those made during the Great Depression, for instance, use synthetic materials rather than the natural ones Baker works with. In those instances, Baker will replace the synthetics with natural materials, which are a higher quality, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-74208\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"763\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Point-4524.jpg\" alt=\"cane to use for a woven chair while working in his work studio.\" class=\"wp-image-74208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134231\/Point-4524.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134231\/Point-4524-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134231\/Point-4524-1024x651.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134231\/Point-4524-768x488.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134231\/Point-4524-170x108.jpg 170w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134231\/Point-4524-400x254.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ghermayn Baker picks out his cane to use for a woven chair while working in his work studio, Point by Point furniture repair in Long Beach, Thursday, May 18, 2023. The studio specializes in woven furniture. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA lot of our customers have had pieces handed down from their grandparents\u2014furniture that&#8217;s been around in their families since the 1930s, sometimes even before that,\u201d Baker said. \u201cAs a craftsperson, I really appreciate \u2026 that I get to work on these old pieces, fix them and make sure that these family heirlooms can be passed along to future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is not cheap work, Baker admitted (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pointbypoint.studio\/cane-and-woven-furniture-repair\">pricing is posted here<\/a>), but customers see the significance of saving these pieces, especially if they hold sentimental value, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all of Point By Point&#8217;s work, however, is done on vintage furniture. As part of their efforts to upcycle and reduce waste by making furniture more sustainable, the pair does not shun clients who purchased their goods from Ikea, Wayfair and other \u201cfast furniture\u201d producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the various weaving processes have similarities, Baker noted that each type of material and style has a unique history behind it. Part of his work is to honor those histories and the cultures they come from, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s something that\u2019s sort of ancestral about this,\u201d Baker, a Black man, said. \u201cThese are practices that have been around for thousands of years. It feels like I\u2019m helping to pass the craft on through the furniture itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baker said it is nearly impossible to learn the practice without facing the cultures it originated from and trying to understand them. When you sit down to weave a single piece for dozens of hours, he noted that\u2019s a lot of time to think\u2014time he likes to spend thinking about the cultures he is emulating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnderstanding the material, where it comes from\u2014I just found that to be a prerequisite,\u201d Baker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-74207\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"695\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Point-4542.jpg\" alt=\"Weaves a seat of a chair while working in his work studiofurniture repair.\" class=\"wp-image-74207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134228\/Point-4542.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134228\/Point-4542-300x174.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134228\/Point-4542-1024x593.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134228\/Point-4542-768x445.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134228\/Point-4542-186x108.jpg 186w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134228\/Point-4542-400x232.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ghermayn Baker threads a new cane as he weaves a seat of a chair while working in his work studio, Point by Point furniture repair in Long Beach, Thursday, May 18, 2023. The studio specializes in woven furniture. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To the best of Baker\u2019s knowledge, Point By Point is the only Black-owned business dedicated to woven furniture repair. While the niche craft is dominated by older white men today, he said the U.S. has a rich history of Black caners, especially in the south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The couple plans to delve much deeper into the various histories of weaving, which is a common thread among the world\u2019s cultures, Powers, who is Asian American, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as understanding these cultures is important, Baker and Powers said building a community is equally so. The couple has gotten to know their neighbors throughout Cal Heights, with many becoming customers, along with antique and vintage stores, party supply rentals and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think people like community and real, genuine connection,\u201d Powers said. \u201cThat\u2019s something this work really brings. It\u2019s cool to really contribute to what\u2019s around us and the local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The work Baker and Powers are doing, though, has garnered attention from more than just the local community. Point By Point was named one of the Bruin Business 100 by UCLA this year, which the couple said is refreshing when so much of the entrepreneurial world is so focused on innovation and disruption. Baker also is a recipient of the 2023 Furniture Society\u2019s Educational Grant, which will allow him to refine his craft at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As their business grows, however, the couple\u2019s house is quickly becoming a tight fit for their operation. Baker said they aren\u2019t necessarily looking for their own storefront, but that a shared makers\u2019 workshop or community space would be an ideal situation\u2014think ghost kitchen, but for artisan goods rather than food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to expanding the repair work itself, Powers said the couple has received a lot of feedback from people who would like to learn the skills Baker has taught himself. So, in their endless pursuit of cultivating community, another future move of Point By Point will be to offer classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t want to gatekeep this craft because it\u2019s already something that\u2019s pretty inaccessible,\u201d Baker said. \u201cI would love to teach classes and love for more people to know this craft because it can be very personally rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-74210\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Point-4190.jpg\" alt=\"Stack of chairs waiting to be repaired line the walls of a work studio, Point by Point furniture repair.\" class=\"wp-image-74210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134237\/Point-4190.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134237\/Point-4190-300x155.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134237\/Point-4190-1024x528.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134237\/Point-4190-768x396.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134237\/Point-4190-192x99.jpg 192w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/26134237\/Point-4190-400x206.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pile of chairs waiting to be repaired lines the walls of Ghermayn Baker work studio, Point by Point furniture repair in Long Beach, Thursday, May 18, 2023. The studio specializes in woven furniture. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ghermayn Baker and Christina Powers ditched their high-paying corporate jobs for a simpler life repairing intricately woven furniture, allowing for a more fulfilling and rewarding life built around community and each other.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":74211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[0],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"above","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32100],"tags":[175],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[25820,31611],"class_list":["post-74868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-studio","tag-in-the-studio","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74868"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74941,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74868\/revisions\/74941"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74868"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=74868"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=74868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}