Pinterest Strategy for Furniture Makers

Part I: Strategy & Research

Why Pinterest Matters for JLF in 2026

Platform Scale

• 553 million monthly active users globally (23.2% YoY growth)
• ~90 million US users (largest single country)
• 79% of users interested in home decor - #1 category on the platform
• 23 billion+ Pins and 682 million+ Boards related to home decor

High-Intent, High-Income Audience

• 85% of weekly users have made purchases based on Pins
• 93% use Pinterest to plan purchases
• 45% of US users have household income over $100K
• 96% of top searches are unbranded - users discovering, not searching for known brands

2026 Trend Alignment

• Neo Deco: Geometric forms, moody tones - aligns with JLF's modern aesthetic
• Craft Revival: Handmade, artisan-made pieces surging
• Sustainability: Buyers choosing solid wood, reclaimed materials
• "Evidence of the maker": Premium for hand-carved details, artisanal joinery

Pinterest vs. Instagram

Pinterest content lives 3-4 months (up to 13+ months). Instagram content lives ~19.75 hours. For

a solo operator with limited time, Pinterest offers better ROI per hour because content

compounds rather than expiring.

Web traffic: Pinterest drives 3x more than any other social channel

Ad efficiency: 2.3x more cost effective per conversion

Verdict: Complementary. Instagram builds community; Pinterest drives traffic and sales.

Competitive Landscape

The space is wide open for small makers. Most woodworkers focus on Instagram/YouTube,

leaving Pinterest underserved. Chicago custom furniture on Pinterest is essentially uncontested.

• Thos. Moser - room-type board organization, lifestyle shots
• Room & Board - extensive board structure by room, style, material
• Mo Woodwork - small maker with strong visual identity
• 1840 Creative - Chicago-based custom, only 4 followers (opportunity)

Key Takeaways

• Lifestyle photography wins (pieces in homes > product on white)
• Verified Merchant Program status matters for trust
• Process content is differentiating

SEO & Keywords

Primary Keywords (High Volume)

custom furniture, solid wood furniture, handmade furniture, modern wood furniture, walnut dining table, custom

dining table, wood desk, custom shelving, live edge table, custom cabinetry

Long-Tail Keywords (High Intent)

custom walnut dining table Chicago, modern solid wood desk home office, handmade wood furniture maker,

sustainable furniture from wood scraps, traditional joinery modern furniture

Pin Title Template

[Product Type] in [Material] | [Style/Feature] | [Brand]

Example: Custom Walnut Dining Table | Modern Solid Wood | Jason Lewis Furniture

Posting Frequency & Strategy

Target: 5 fresh pins/week, growing to 10-15/week within 3 months

Content ratio: 70%+ fresh content (new image + new description)

One project = 5-10 fresh pins (different angles, details, room shots)

Best times: Saturday 8am-12pm, Sunday 8-11pm, Tues/Thurs/Mon evenings

Format mix: 80% Standard Pins (traffic) / 20% Idea Pins (audience)

Rich Pins & Future Advertising

Offcut (Shopify): Automatic - claim offcut.shop, 15 minutes

JLF (Cargo): May need custom Open Graph meta tags in site header

Benefit: Shopping Pins: 15% higher ROAS, 2.6x higher conversion

Advertising: Focus organic first (3-6 months). Pinterest CPC is $0.10-$0.20, 30-40% cheaper than

Facebook/Instagram. ROI: $4.30 per $1 spent.

Phased Ad Approach

• Months 1-6: Organic only ($0-$30/month for Tailwind)
• Months 6-12: Promote top pins at $5-10/day ($150-$300/month)
• Year 2+: Scale to $300-$500/month if working

Part II: Board Structure

15 boards organized by category. Names are keyword-optimized for Pinterest search. Create in this order.

Portfolio Boards

Board 1: Custom Dining Tables - Solid Wood

Custom dining tables handmade in solid wood - walnut, white oak, ash, cherry. Built in

Chicago by Jason Lewis since 2002. Traditional joinery, oil finish, made to last.

Board 2: Custom Wood Desks & Home Office

Custom wood desks and home office furniture made in Chicago. Walnut, white oak,

solid hardwood construction. Built to fit your space and work the way you work.

Board 3: Custom Shelving & Storage

Custom built-in shelving, bookcases, and storage in solid wood. Designed for the

space, built to stay. Chicago custom woodworking by JLF Projects.

Board 4: Custom Bedroom Furniture

Custom bed frames, nightstands, and bedroom furniture in solid hardwood. Made in Chicago, built to last a

lifetime.

Board 5: Custom Kitchen & Cabinetry

Custom kitchen cabinetry, islands, and built-ins in solid wood. Commercial and

residential. JLF Projects, Chicago.

Board 6: Commercial & Restaurant Woodworking

Custom millwork, tables, and built-ins for restaurants, offices, and commercial spaces.

JLF Projects has worked with clients across Chicago for 25 years.

Board 7: Jason Lewis Furniture Line

The Jason Lewis Furniture collection - modern solid wood furniture designed and

handmade in Chicago. Dining tables, desks, chairs, and benches. Heirloom quality,

traditional joinery.

Board 8: Offcut - Sustainable Furniture

Offcut makes furniture from the wood scraps left over from custom projects. Solid

wood, sustainably made, available at offcut.shop.

Process & Craft Boards

Board 9: Woodworking Process & Joinery

Inside the workshop - joinery, hand tools, finishing, and the process behind handmade

solid wood furniture. Made at 3951 W Belden Ave, Chicago.

Board 10: Wood Species & Materials

Walnut, white oak, ash, cherry, maple - the hardwoods behind JLF furniture. How we

choose wood, source it, and work with it.

Board 11: Workshop to Home - Installations

Watching custom furniture move from the shop to finished room. Before and after, delivery, installation, and final

shots of JLF custom projects.

Inspiration & Curation Boards

Board 12: Modern Interior Design Inspiration

Clean lines, natural materials, considered spaces. Inspiration for modern interior design with an emphasis on

wood, craft, and lasting design.

Board 13: Chicago Design & Architecture

Chicago architecture, interior design, and makers worth following. A local lens on design - collected by Jason

Lewis Furniture.

Board 14: Sustainable Design & Reclaimed Wood

Furniture and interiors made from reclaimed wood, natural materials, and sustainable design thinking. Less waste,

better things.

Board 15: Kitchen & Dining Room Design Ideas

Kitchen and dining room design inspiration - tables, chairs, lighting, layout. Collecting

the rooms where good food and good furniture live together.

Part III: Pin Descriptions

Ready-to-use pin copy with matched portfolio photos. Copy the title, description, and alt text for each pin.

Walnut Dining Table

Title: Custom Walnut Dining Table | Solid Wood | Jason Lewis

Furniture Chicago

Copy: Custom walnut dining table made in Chicago. Hand cut

joinery, oil finish - built to be used and passed on. Available

through Jason Lewis Furniture for custom orders.

Alt: Custom walnut dining table with hand cut joinery and oil finish,

made in Chicago

Board: Custom Dining Tables - Solid Wood

White Oak Dining Table

Title: White Oak Dining Table | Modern Solid Wood | JLF Projects

Chicago

Copy: White oak dining table, solid wood construction, traditional

joinery. Made to order in Chicago by JLF Projects. Custom sizes

and finishes available.

Alt: White oak dining table with traditional joinery, handmade in

Chicago

Board: Custom Dining Tables - Solid Wood

Custom Walnut Desk

Title: Custom Walnut Desk | Home Office Furniture | JLF Projects

Chicago

Copy: Custom walnut desk built for a home office in Chicago. Solid

wood, hand finished, built to the exact dimensions of the

space. JLF Projects does custom desks, tables, and built-ins.

Alt: Custom walnut wood desk built for home office, handmade in

Chicago

Board: Custom Wood Desks & Home Office

Built-in Shelving

Title: Custom Built-In Shelving | Solid Wood | JLF Projects Chicago

Copy: Custom built-in bookcase in white oak. Designed to fit the

wall, built to stay there. JLF Projects, Chicago - custom

shelving, storage, and millwork.

Alt: Custom built-in white oak bookcase, handmade and installed in

Chicago home

Board: Custom Shelving & Storage

Hand Cut Joinery

Title: Hand Cut Mortise & Tenon Joinery | Woodworking Process |

Jason Lewis Furniture

Copy: Hand cut mortise and tenon joint - traditional joinery

technique used on all Jason Lewis Furniture pieces. Made in

Chicago since 2002. No shortcuts.

Alt: Hand cut mortise and tenon joinery on walnut wood, traditional

woodworking technique

Board: Woodworking Process & Joinery

Workshop / Studio

Title: Custom Furniture Workshop | Chicago Woodworking Studio |

JLF Projects

Copy: The workshop at 3951 W Belden Ave, Logan Square, Chicago.

All Jason Lewis Furniture is designed and built here - solid

hardwoods, traditional joinery, hand finished.

Alt: Custom woodworking studio and workshop in Logan Square,

Chicago

Board: Woodworking Process & Joinery

Restaurant Millwork

Title: Custom Restaurant Millwork | Commercial Woodworking | JLF

Projects Chicago

Copy: Custom tables, built-ins, and millwork for Chicago restaurants

and commercial spaces. JLF Projects has worked with

restaurants, offices, and retail spaces for 25 years.

Alt: Custom wood tables and millwork for Chicago restaurant, made

by JLF Projects

Board: Commercial & Restaurant Woodworking

Offcut Sustainable Furniture

Title: Sustainable Furniture from Wood Scraps | Offcut | Chicago

Copy: Offcut makes furniture from the solid wood scraps left over

from custom projects. Less waste, better furniture. Shop at

offcut.shop.

Alt: Small sustainable furniture pieces made from wood scraps,

Offcut brand Chicago

Board: Offcut - Sustainable Furniture

Part IV: Implementation

Account Setup Checklist

Complete in order. Total time: 3-4 hours.

Profile Setup

Convert to Business Account (Settings > Account)

Profile name: "Jason Lewis Furniture | Custom Woodworking Chicago"

Update profile bio (see Part II)

Add profile photo (logo or headshot)

Claim Websites & Rich Pins

Claim offcut.shop (highest priority - enables Rich Pins automatically)

Claim jasonlewisfurniture.com (may need Cargo custom code)

Claim jlfprojects.com

Test Rich Pins: developers.pinterest.com/tools/url-debugger/

Apply for Verified Merchant Program

Content Setup

Create all 15 boards with descriptions from Part II

Pin 50 existing portfolio photos across boards (first 2 weeks)

Begin weekly workflow: 5-7 pins per week

Weekly Workflow

Monday or Tuesday, 1-2 hours:

• Select 5-7 photos from recent projects or existing library
• Resize to vertical format (2:3 ratio, 1000 x 1500px)
• Write pin titles and descriptions using templates from Section 4
• Schedule via Pinterest scheduler or Tailwind ($30/month)

One project = 5-10 pins: wide shot, detail, process, installation, room context.

Growth Targets & Investment

Month 1: 1,000 views, 50 followers, 20 link clicks

Month 6: 10,000 views, 250 followers, 200 link clicks

Month 12: 50,000+ views, 500+ followers, 500+ link clicks

Pinterest is a slow-burn platform. Expect 3-6 months before meaningful traffic. Results

compound over time.

Cost

Setup: $0

Months 1-3: $0-30/month (Tailwind optional)

Months 4-6: $30/month

Months 7-12: $30 + $150-300/month (ads)

SOURCES & REFERENCES

• Pinterest Business — Business account setup and merchant program
• Pinterest Developers — Rich Pins validation and API
• Tailwind — Pinterest scheduling and analytics tool
• Thos. Moser — Competitor reference (handcrafted furniture)
• Room & Board — Competitor reference (modern furniture retailer)
• Shopify — E-commerce platform (Offcut)
• Cargo — Website platform (JLF sites)