Feasterville Artist Gives Discarded Furniture a Second Life

Long before rap artist Macklemore sang the praises of thrift shops, Susanne Kelly of Feasterville has been well aware that hidden treasures lurk on the shelves of the secondhand stores. Where some may pass by a piece of used furniture and dismiss it as junk, "Savvy" Susanne Kelly sees nothing but potential.

"I go out to garage sales and flea markets every weekend," said Kelly. "But right now, my favorite place is Impact Thrift Store. They always have a great selection."

The normal inclination when buying a used desk or hutch might be to buy some primer and wood paint and make the piece look as close to good as new as possible. Instead, Kelly likes to give the furniture a little more character with some special techniques that she will be demonstrating during the flea market event at the Arbors at Buck Run in Feasterville. The flea market runs between 9 a.m. and noon, and Kelly will begin her demos at 10 a.m.

"I don't restore really restore the furniture," said Kelly. "It's more of a makeover. The approach is a little different."

The number one tool for her trade is a special material called chalk paint. Unlike latex paint, a primer coat is not required to use it. Once she has covered the piece with the paint, usually just one coat, she then sands it and distresses it, deliberately placing little imperfections on the furniture. After a wax job, the piece is good to go, usually to a client who asked forher help in rejuvenating an old chair or table.

Kelly's methods have helped her build a strong reputation for repurposing used furniture. Her collection of pieces has grown large enough that she found some vendor space at the All Things Shoppe in Hatboro. Kelly's garage-based business started after her family moved to Feasterville and she gave her own kitchen cabinets and dining room hutch her unique makeover.

"So many people started telling me I should sell these," said Kelly. "I gave it a shot with a Facebook page, and they started selling."