Home Again

de page, and I had an old one collecting dust in the basement. She bought it and was thrilled. The next week, when another woman was searching for an antique bed, I showed her a picture of one I’d seen at Habitat For Humanity ReStore, one of my favorite secondhand furniture haunts. She sent me a message saying that it was the perfect style, but could I paint it for her? I didn’t have anything planned that weekend, so I agreed. All those spindles made me want to pull out my hair. I think when all was said and done I made about $.01/hour after buying materials. And it just snowballed from there. People heard that there was this crazy lady in Bayside who would paint furniture for practically nothing, and they sent me their treasures to refresh. Since my humble beginnings in the basement and garage where I was little more than your average Pinterest-junkie, my skill set and knowledge have increased 100-fold. At least. I started with simple painting projects, but true to my roots in education, I've dug deeper and learned about the balance between science and art when refinishing wood furniture. I have grown to appreciate the craft of upholstery, practicing tufting until my thumbs bleed and experimenting with antique and modern materials, from hay and horse hair to high resiliency foam and down feathers. And when I needed to figure out the height of a trapezoid bench cushion, I reached all the way back to my junior high school days and dusted off the pythagorean theorem from Mr. Just's pre-algebra class. That's dedication. Through this journey I've called on countless resources, from online tutorials, to my faithful friends at the hardware and foam stores, and a lot of trial and error, all for a single purpose - creating a quality product for my clients. Getting my hands dirty and seeing the delight on a family's faces when I send their transformed family heirlooms home again are the rewards I reap. I may have moved the business away from home and into a proper workshop filled with an eclectic mix of durable upholstery fabrics and weathered hand tools, but my three munchkins constantly remind me why being home again will always be so sweet. When we return from an adventure, I sing, “Home again, home again…” and they chime in, “Jiggety jig!”

Ultimately, I am a crazy furniture lady, and I find joy in the challenges and stories that come through the workshop door. With every piece I refurbish, there is something new to learn, and I'm always up for the challenge. If you've previously requested information about a project, you know that I end each estimate by saying - If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm happy to help in any way I can. And I really am. If I can answer your questions, reupholster your sofa, or help you select fabric for your own DIY adventure, I would love to help.

~ Kristina