about us
We picked up our first free couch in 2017.
It all started from a desire to become a debt-free family of seven. We wanted to learn to live on cold hard cash money. Things got tight and we got tough - and the ever more resourceful we became.
When we drove by the couch in an Leawood, KS neighborhood, we found ourselves at a dead stop. A misshapen cushion and 'lil bit dirty, but she had potential.
We cringed, put on our gloves, and threw her on our back. We took her to our garage, cleaned and steamed, and then listed her for sale.
That sofa turned out to be FOUR hundred dollar bills that had a "FREE" sign scribbled on it. We high-fived each other and went and did it again. And again. And again.
We started our couch journey during our home flipping career in Kansas City, KS.
We had to do these flips with our own cash, without debt (we literally have zero credit cards) all while raising a family and living inside them. Our kids are very cool, and they will remember it forever. Even if that means they will never renovate homes themselves. Ever.
Without childcare (too expensive) and in the midst of a pandemic in early 2020 (in a city where we knew nobody), we demolished the floor right beneath us. We funded our home flips and purchased the supplies we needed with couch money.
We would renovate during the day- doing all the work ourselves- when our kids were awake and then at night we would quietly list and sell couches.
It was a secret to all who knew us back home. We weren't sure how to explain that we were flipping used sofas.
We rented our first little storage unit in late 2020 and by three months later we rented the entire storage facility.
Our oldest son earned a drivers license and was given tie downs to work with in about the same day. We'd go as far to say he's moved more sofas across this country than most major manufacturers, all by himself.
In mid-2021 we moved back to where we call home, Marshfield, MO.
The business took off again.
A longtime favorite restaurant building became available in our little town. We had eaten here as a family for many years, and now it sat empty. We called our friend who owned the building, and struck a deal.
This became our first "brick and mortar" store. The days in that little store were long. We were there for the delivery truck at 7am, waved at the mailman at noon, greeted our 2nd shifters at 5pm, put our kids to sleep on couches at 8pm, and went home somewhere between 2-4am (if we got to go home instead of crashing on a couch..)
When not at the store, we spent all-nighters and weekend-long journeys all over the midwest delivering and finding the most beautiful sofas. We figured out how to comfortably sleep in the back of a cargo trailer while on the road.
We started to realize we had created something amazing and the need for it was even bigger than we could ever have imagined. We initially carried fabric pieces, but our true calling came on a family trip to Texas.
On that trip we made the decision to exclusively carry quality leather.
We fell in love with leather working.
We equally learned and worked hard together.
Leather was our passion.
Our little store began to take shape, and we became known for the highest quality leather pieces in the United States.
We learned how to dye, custom upholstery, repair, paint, and embellish the most beautiful custom pieces you'll find anywhere.
We custom upholster pieces with hair-on-hides, along with a vast collection of embossed hides, alligator, lizard, snake, crocodile, and stingray.
We are not a typical furniture showroom. Our showroom is open by appointment so we can give each customer a personalized experience, with time to explore our pieces, feel the leathers, and find furniture that fits your home and your style.
Thousands of sofas & customers, 18 warehouses, 21 drivers, across 48 states and 59 amazing hard-working humans and a fanchiseable business later, we are Cattlehouse.
We are so grateful to each and every one of our customers to make our story happen. We are glad you are here and excited to meet you if we haven't already!
Welcome to Cattlehouse!
Happy cow-ches!
Doug & Cameron