A furniture shop which refurbishes old and discarded pieces has opened in Weston.
Somerset Re-Loved Furniture, in Locking Road, has opened its showroom which specialises in fixing old furniture and turning it into different and more useful items.
Its owner Ziggy Vincent began the venture five years ago when she decided to paint a magazine rack and items for her daughter’s room, and she never looked back.
Her skills as a painter and fixer of old furniture are self-taught.
Ziggy said: “I began to paint for other people and sold items on eBay then after a year or so I realised I didn’t want to do anything else, so I made it my business.
“In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve had three people pop their head in the door and ask if it was a house or a shop because the place I’m in now has such a lovely feel to it, which is important if you want to be successful in this industry.”
Ziggy’s first shop was in Alfred Street before she moved to Locking Service Station in 2015, building up a large client base.
However, Ziggy had to leave the premises after the service station was put up for sale.
Many items she has repaired over the years have been rescued from trips to the tip which have allowed her to create bench seats from wardrobes, change a Danish sideboard into a modern looking bench and convert a 150 year-old set of drawers which were beyond restorative repair into an open shelving unit.
The showroom space is also used for ad hoc classes for those who want to learn how to paint furniture, decoupage or re-cover seat pads.
People can come in for an informal and relaxed session to learn the basics of furniture restoration.
Ziggy added: “My absolute passion is re-purposing pieces which are unpopular in their original form and making something more useful out of them.
“I am pleased I can do something small to help cut down waste and cater for people who don’t want to be part of the throw away society.
“After many years working in soulless factories and warehouses, I’ve finally found something I love doing for a living.”
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