Trash to treasure—furniture flipping becomes booming business

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“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” according to an old saying, and Decatur residents Deanna and Andrew Cauthen have made a business of turning what some have regarded as trash into treasured pieces of furniture.

What started several years ago as a hobby and an inexpensive way to furnish their Decatur home, the married couple has turned into a lucrative home business, Revamped Furnishings.

“We both have an eye for the potential in a piece that someone else may have discarded, but it’s not the same eye,” Deanna said. “Often he sees something I don’t see and other times I see what he doesn’t see.”

Andrew said he started years ago refurbishing furniture and has built his skills over the years. Now, when he comes home from his job with DeKalb County he usually spends a few hours restoring a piece covered in scuffed paint or marred with nicks and scratches to its former beauty.

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Anatomy of a Workshop

Spring 2017

Andrew, with the help of grandson Bryce, starts laying the foundation for the workshop.

Fall 2017

With some help from friends, the framing for the walls and the roof gets put into place.

Inside paneling is installed.

Winter 2018

The front door and windows of the workshop are installed.

Andrew installs double doors.

Reclaimed wood becomes the “new” siding for the workshop.

Spring 2018

Andrew puts up a temporary tarp roof on the workshop and “dries it in”.

Summer 2018

Andrew, with the help of friends John and Ryan, installs the corrugated metal roof, and the workshop is finally completed.

Note- Excluding the frame, the entire workshop was built with reclaimed wood, and with recycled pieces from other projects.