Kari Velandria sits among treasures at ReVibe, located on York Street in Williamsburg.
We all have at least one; it’s just a question of where we keep it hidden. Whether heirloom, inheritance, or thrift store score, some furniture pieces have a way of haunting our attics and crawlspaces, the guilty reminders of a job we don’t quite know how to begin.
If you’re lucky enough to live in Williamsburg, help is close at hand.A cadre of local experts and artisans are standing by to guide you on your way. Whether you need advice on downsizing and selling furniture, inspiration for incorporating an antique into your household, or you’re ready to tear a piece apart and resurrect it for a life of new purpose, this town has got you covered.
“We can provide ideas about how to use your existing furniture in a new way,” explains Alan Goodman, owner of Goodman’s Interiors on Richmond Road in Lightfoot. “You can blend in antiques with modern furniture. You can modernize things in your home. You can convert,” he said. Goodman, 53, of James City County, suggests using a large serving buffet as a TV console, or even as a dresser. Aconverted bed’s rails can be salvaged for use as shelves that will seamlessly match the headboard’s finish.
Or, say you love your mother’s formal parlor set, but the fabric has given all it had to give. Reupholstering might seem like the right choice for those old wingback chairs, but where does one begin? That’s where theexperts at Savvy Swatch come in.
It all starts with a deep regard for old furniture. “Old is better than new,” according to Debora Venne, Owner and Proprietor at Savvy Swatch and Bob’s Upholstery. Venne educates her customers daily in the value of extending the lives of existing pieces.
Even the costliest modern-day chairs and sofas commonly areconstructed at least partially ofparticle board and plywood. By contrast, older pieces often are built with solid wood, and with old-world joining and construction techniques.
“People want a better piece offurniture that they’re not going to throw away in five years,” said Venne.
Whether you’re clever with a needle and thread and you just need to get your hands on the right fabric, or you’d rather leave the whole job to the experts, Savvy Swatch has a stable of on-site craftsmen ready to bring their experience to bear.
Just beyond the Historic Area, you’ll find ReVibe, a quirky boho boutique where in-house artists imbue old furniture with fresh and frenetic energy. This studio storefront is owned by Kari Velandria, 39, of James City County. If you’re short on inspiration for a makeover of your own invention, the staff at the store can create a custom-painted project tailored to your home’s existing scheme.
Velandria is driven to help customers see new possibilities. “The olderpieces are a lot more ornate. They’ve got such personality. Sometimes people don’t realize what they have, and they’re about to throw it away,” she said.
“We can redesign it for them. First, I feel out what they’re into, and then I will make suggestions, like, for paint or upholstery. For example, say it’s an end table. We can take that and make it into a small hutch. We don’t just repaint a piece—we can—but we also make completely different pieces out of other pieces, too.”
If you want to make something with your own hands, DIY Workshop stocks everything you need—including a space to work in. They opened in the summer of 2017, right across the street from the Chickahominy House on Jamestown Road. Inside, you’ll find a space not unlike a high school shop classroom: long tables in a large work room equipped for all manner of sawing, sanding, painting and staining. It’s welcoming and well-lit, abuzz with neighborly chatter.
Beneath the industrious surface lies a deeper mission. “Our desire is that people become just as familiar with hand tools and building things as they are with their iPhone. That’s our big thrust right now,” explains ownerJennifer Stanley, 50, of Williamsburg.
With the resources at DIY Workshop, you’ll be able to repaint those old bunk beds, or saw them apart and rebuild something entirely new.
“Anything can be repurposed. We’ve had people bring things from the trash dumpster; things they’ve found on the side of the road. If you’re willing to put in a little bit of work, no matter what piece, if you can be patient, it can work out,” Stanley said.
“We want people to have an open mind. We don’t want them to be intimidated by the task, but instead allow themselves the opportunity to use their imagination, to think about what can be. And then we, all of us, will help you fill in the gaps,” said Stanley.