Sherrika finds joy creating beautiful furniture

For some women, the idea of sanding wood, hammering nails and gluing large pieces of board together is an experience they would never desire. But for furniture maker Sherrika Reid, it is a passion that gives her absolute joy.

The 35-year-old mother of one invited THE STAR to her home and work space in Harbour View, St Andrew, and did not hesitate to get her hands dirty.

She said that her greatest motivation for leaving her nine-to-five job of four years and transitioning to carpentry was her 13-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, and needed more care than her previous job allowed her to give.

"During that time when I was working at the airport, my daughter had surgery and I had to be back and forth with therapy. So I was unable to get the time off. I was unable to get the days that I wanted, so I just decided 'Hey, what am I gonna do'?" Reid said.

For Reid, transitioning to carpentry was an easy decision, not only because it was more convenient, but because she was already being trained by her father Albert Reid, who has been in the business for 40 years. She added that her previous job was unfulfilling.

"I felt stuck, I felt like 'Okay, this is not for me'. I've been here for a number of years and I feel like ... I need something more. So I was thinking, wondering and pondering what can I do. But then I said, 'Mi father have a furniture shop from mi born, why not just go into it fully'?" she said.

Now, almost seven years later, Reid said she feels satisfied and enjoys being able to freely pursue her passion and make unique furniture designs. She operates S.M.L. Essentials with her father and two brothers. The name is inspired by her daughter.

"I put my heart and my soul and my sweat into it because there's nothing else that I want to do, and this is my passion," Reid said.

"I love it. I didn't want to make just the regular bedroom set or the regular chest of drawers, or the regular kitchen cabinets. So I tend to think outside the box making items you couldn't find in stores." She said that she sources materials and builds all furniture from scratch.

"From going to the board shop, bring the board here, treating the board, leave it to dry for couple days and then we just do everything from scratch, cut, spray, everything from scratch," Reid said.

She admitted that initially, it was difficult to operate certain machines, but she has learnt to dominate equipment she once hated.

"When I just started out, I didn't know how to use the sanding machine. I hated it but with practice, and my father there to teach mi, it was easy for mi after a while," Reid said.

Reid told THE STAR that being a female carpenter could be challenging because some customers questioned her craftsmanship and workmanship.

"They would be like 'Okay it's a female, I don't trust what she's doing, probably the item is not going to come out good'," she said. Reid said that her customers' satisfied reactions when they see the finished product is what she enjoys most.

"They'll be like 'No, you too nice to work in the shop, I don't believe yuh work in the shop'. So sometimes customers will come to the shop and actually watch me work," Reid said. She hopes to expand the family's small business, making it a household name and allowing them to provide employment. But there are obstacles.

"Starting a business is not for the weak. Sometimes I feel stressed, depressed. But you know, I just talk to myself and seh 'Girl yuh afi duh this. Yuh have a child depending on you, it's a family business'. I'm creating a household name. I'm creating a brand, not necessarily just making furniture," Reid said.

She advised young people to follow their passions, do what they love and enjoy, and think outside the box.

"If you don't have a love for it, it doesn't make sense. Don't think about 'Okay, I want quick money', because you're not gonna enjoy the process, and at the same time you're gonna feel like if things not working out, you easily give up," Reid said.