It started with a six-week road trip.
Kin & Cove started long before we knew we were starting a business.
It began with a DIY sleeping platform, our Honda CR-V, and a dream to drive to as many states as possible, on a budget, which meant sleeping in our car!
We built it for ourselves.
My husband, Luke, and I were preparing for a six-week cross-country road trip and wanted to car camp along the way. Luke built a homemade wooden sleeping platform for the back of our Honda CR-V so we could turn the cargo area into a place to sleep and make better use of every inch of space.
When the trip ended, we went back to our tiny apartment and faced a very practical problem: we had nowhere to store the whole platform. So part of it stayed in the trunk.
The road trip ended. The shelf stayed.
What started as leftover road-trip gear quietly became part of everyday life. Then we became parents, and suddenly the trunk was full of a stroller, diaper bags, and all the things that come with bringing a baby along.
That extra level made a huge difference. The stroller could live underneath while groceries and everyday essentials stayed accessible on top. We realized the thing we'd kept by accident was solving a problem that had nothing to do with camping. It simply made a busy family car easier to use.
That was the moment the idea changed from something we had made for ourselves into something we wanted to make better and share with other people.
The same simple idea, made for everyday use.
We kept the idea we loved from that first wooden platform: create another level, use the space you already have, and keep life easier to reach. Then we reworked it into a product that is adjustable, durable, removable, and much easier to live with every day.
The Cargo Shelf is designed for grocery runs, strollers, sports gear, road trips, luggage, and all the ordinary in-between moments that fill a family car.
Why Kin & Cove?
KIN is family, connection and the people you do life with.
COVE is comfort, refuge, and the freedom to explore.
Together, KIN & COVE reflects what we want this brand to make room for: real families, real adventures, and thoughtful products that make life on the go easier.
Get to know me!
Kin & Cove is being built in the middle of real family life. I share more behind the scenes of the business, motherhood, travel, products we use, and our everyday adventures on my personal social channels. I'd love to have you follow along!
— Sam, Founder