About

Where do I begin?  I was not born a furniture restorer, I hardly know how I got into the business.  Perhaps by being newly married, on a small budget, and having no furnishings for our apartment triggered it all.

I went to university for a degree in music and education.  When I graduated, the job market was pretty hopeless.  As I worked various part-time jobs, I always thought, "there's gotta be something I can do... some business I can start".   After many failed attempts at business I either did not enjoy or were just not good ideas, a friend of mine sent me a link for a picture of an industrial spool coffee table.

I decided it wouldn't be too hard to make, and thus began my Industrial Spool Coffee Table business.  I found an industrial spool supplier who had a yard full of these old spools.  He was going to send them to the landfill, and was thrilled I could use them once again.  I made them in various colours and stains, posted them on kijiji, and within a few months I was selling a couple every week, all for around $200 per table. 

On the side, I continued to find old furniture, paint it, and add it to our meager home collection.  Pretty soon, I had friends and family inquiring about certain pieces - how much would I sell it for?  how did I make that?  how did I refinish that?  what paint colour did I use?  Some of my early pieces were despicable and landed up in the 'free ads' on Kijiji, but eventually they became good enough to sell.  My husband became incredibly gracious as saying, "Babe, I don't think this project is going to work out", and many times I humbly took it to the dumpster.  Soon I was buying hutches, coffee table sets, dining sets, desks, etc., paining them, and selling them for a profit.  The free ads on Kijiji became my home, my favourite place in the world.

http://hamilton.kijiji.ca/f-Classifieds-W0QQAdTypeZ2QQPriceAlternativeZ3

I'm proud to say most (if not all) furnishings in my house were side-of-the-road finds, kijiji free-ad pick-ups, or very inexpensive second hand items.  I discovered people will pay a good price for 'reclaimed' or 're-purposed' items - especially if they were charming, affordable, and included delivery. 

Encouraged by friends and family to begin a blog, I lured my tenant, Tye, into creating a professional-looking website for me (note to landlords: homemade perogies go a long way in creating good relationships with tenants).  I enjoy writing and sharing my life with others.

Thank you to everyone for your support through my never -ending ideas, ramblings about scrap yard finds, enduring long auctions and climbing over projects at my house.

Thanks to my husband, Mark, who is ever so patient with my ongoing projects, if it wasn't for his encouragement, I'd still be behind the counter at Williams Coffee Pub.  Thanks for pushing me to find what I love and do it, babe.  You're the bestest thing in my life.