Originally published on Huddle Today on July 7, 2020
SAINT JOHN – Even when he was in the British Army serving in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Cyprus, Tony Klipin was making furniture.
“Even though I served probably half my career in Northern Ireland and I was in the first Gulf War, I was still building things,” he says. “When we had range days, all the ammunition came in huge pine crates. I used to save them and knock them to pieces and make a piece of furniture out of them. I’ve always been creative that way.”
Klipin was born in Ontario an orphan, where he was adopted and lived briefly in Newfoundland. From there, he moved to Great Britain where he grew up. He had started his diploma in furniture studies but dropped out to join the army as a way to escape from and rebel against an abusive family situation.
“I basically ran away from home when I was 19 and joined the British Army. It was probably the best thing,” says Klipin. “One thing that child abuse can do to somebody is really destroying your self-esteem. But the army gave me a lot of confidence back.”
After serving 13 years in the British Army, Klipen joined a national construction company in technical sales, design and project management. He had worked his way up to management when the 2008 global recession hit.
“I was just used to applying for work and getting it, then just picking which job I’d take,” he remembers. “But for the first time in my life, I applied for dozens of jobs I didn’t even want just to work and I didn’t even hear anything back.”
Out of a job, in 2011 Klipen decided to move back to Newfoundland. He arrived in the middle of March during a blizzard.
“I always wanted to trace my roots and I went back to Newfoundland. I sold everything off and went back there with two suitcases,” he says.
“I arrived in a big snowstorm and thought ‘where the hell have I come to?'”
Klipin got a job within three days in sales and design for a kitchen manufacturer. He also met his partner, Louise.
In December 2017, Louise’s career as a psychiatrist brought the couple to Saint John. Also around this time, they decided that Tony would finally pursue his dream of furniture-making full-time. After spending most of his adult life travelling to work for other people, he wanted to try working for himself.
“I was on the road quite a lot and I didn’t really want that again. So I left [my job] and I did a lot of renovations to my house in Newfoundland and then I had an inkling to start making my own furniture and it’s just grown from that,” Klipin says.
This was the beginning of his company Dachs-Republic, named in honour of their three dachshunds.
“Then it was here when that I kind of stumbled across this space and was like, ‘ok, I’ll give it a go,'” he says. “It’s just snowballed and got bigger from there.”
The ‘Alchemy’ of making cool furniture
Built out of his workshop in East Saint John, Klipin’s furniture aims to be both beautiful and functional. Using reclaimed wood he’s sourced everywhere from dumpsters to Habitat For Humanity, he strives to make something meaningful out of something that’s been thrown away. He works with a variety of materials and techniques, such as epoxy, airbrush painting and steel in his creations.
“I’ve always been fascinated with the word, ‘Alchemy,'” says Klipin. “It’s like turning something that’s of no value into value.”
Most of his work is commissioned by individuals. He also has some inventory, but it usually doesn’t stay for long. That’s a good thing — he’s able to pay his bills.
“I’m trying to market myself as an artist and not a commercial cabinet maker. I’ve told myself if I need to I can go fit some floors or do some carpentry or do trim work, I can,” says Klipin. “But I think I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to be creative and I feel like I’m doing what I should do. I’ve just got a head full of ideas and things to create.”
After three years, Klipin is ready to double down and grow and commercialize the business. But it hasn’t been a smooth road to get to this point, especially over the last year.
“I say this past year has been one of the most difficult, but it’s also been one of the most for personal growth,” he says. “It’s taught me a lot about myself.”
Growing Through Grief
In May 2019, Klipin’s partner Louise died unexpectedly. Klipin had experienced much in his life, but raw grief was not one of them.
“I’ve never experienced grief,” he says. “I have a new understanding and appreciation for people going through it. It’s really unique to the individual.”
But through counselling and support from his friends in the community, he was able to make his way through the grieving process and started creating again.
“Louise will always be in my heart for as long as I live and that’s ok,” he says. “I’m fortunate enough that I’ve found new love.”
Klippin’s new partner Angela Black is the owner of Open Your Art, a Fredericton-based business that offers accessible arts programming to youth, adults, community organizations, private schools and public schools.
Black will soon be selling her own art under Dachs-Republic, which will be rebranding as “Dachs-Republic Designer Makers” to incorporate the new medium.
“Our values kind of meshed. She’s also an artist too. She paints and she’s illustrated a book recently,” says Klipin. “But we’re both advocates for mental health within our communities.”
Klipin has long been an advocate and supporter of mental health. He’s regularly taken part in Creative Collab, an event promoting local artists that raises money for mental health initiatives in Saint John. He says his passion for mental health comes from his own experience not just in counselling, but the compassion others have shown him throughout his life.
“I think I’m really fortunate because of my past and my experiences in the army can leave someone damaged. But Louise used to tell me, she was a psychiatrist for over 20 years, that I’m one of the most resilient people she’s ever met,” he says. ” I am because I’ve been able to manage to pick myself up.”
That idea of resiliency shows up in all the furniture he makes.
“I think that’s what I want to encourage using reclaimed materials, is that people shouldn’t discard people . . . I want to encourage people to go for counselling, have therapy and things like that because it can really change your life. There should be no shame in it.”
Aside from Black joining the businesses, Klipin has also made big investments in woodworking equipment to help him keep up with his commissions.
“I came to the point where I thought if I’m going to do this, I’m going to have to make it work or do something else,” he says.”So I decided this is where my passion is. I feel that this is always what I should be doing. I researched what I’d need.”
The investment has already paid off.
“They’re not even subtle changes,” he says. “They are mega differences in time and quality.”
He plans to invest in more equipment in the future, but he may also need to invest in an extra set of hands.
“I’m going to have to start thinking about employing somebody,” Klipin says. “If I could get somebody from the craft and design college for a summer, just to get them inspired. I think youth have a lot of passion, inspiration and ideas.”
Up until this past year, Klippen used to say he would never have as good of friends than the ones he had in the army. After all, they literally had his back. But after what he’s experienced and overcome in the last year, he says the friends and community he’s made in Saint John now share that place.
“It’s probably the first time in my life where I feel a part of the community and I want to contribute to it,” he says. “Whether it’s encouraging artists with Creative Collab or just encouraging people and being an advocate for mental health, that’s what I’ll do.”