THUNDER BAY -- Within minutes of arriving, furniture intended for Thursday’s Habitat for Humanity’s Restore It competition was already catching the eyes of Reid’s Countrywide Furniture customers.
Not wanting to wait until the auction and gala, visitors to the store were asking how much Reid’s wanted for the pieces, which were carefully retrofitted by do-it-yourselfers who took old items found at Habitat’s Restore and turned them into one-of-a-kind pieces.
“It’s been very positive,” said Juuso Hirvas, assistant general manager at the Intercity area store, saying it was an easy partnership to form with such a great organization like Habitat for Humanity Thunder Bay.
“The first day they dropped stuff off we had people interested in purchasing some of the products. And it’s not just the people coming in. The sales staff is very impressed with what people were able to do.”
The pieces are truly unique, and range from a refurbished dresser to an intricately restored wooden table that’s been hand-crafted with an elaborate rose design painted across its circular surface.
As someone who deals with new furniture every day, Hirvas said functionality is the key to making a good restored piece.
It also has to fit well with the person’s décor.
“Obviously you’re trying to create an environment in a room and what these people have done here is creating really distinct pieces that go a long way to finishing a room and making it a home,” he said. “It’s giving me ideas to make my own stuff.”
Designers have had a little more than a month to put their restoration skills to the test.
All nine pieces are on display throughout Reid’s between now and Thursday and the public is invited to stop by to vote for their favourite.
The auction gala is scheduled for Thursday night and tickets are $50 and available at either Reid’s or Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore on Squier Street.
