When Lori Bryan found a 1940s telephone table at a garage sale, she saw beyond the spilled candle wax and the hideous green paint job.
Cleaned, sanded, re-painted and adorned with flowers, it now stands amid other rehabbed pieces of furniture in the middle of Chic Antiques, her downtown Lake Orion shop which opened early this summer.
Unlike traditional antique stores, the oddities Bryan has acquired are refurbished with a modern touch.
‘I really like to use the ugliest piece of furniture that is more than likely headed for the landfill and giving it a ‘chic? look with paint and contemporary fabric,? she said. ‘It’s therapeutic turning something that someone was going to throw away into something new.?
The store is also stocked with jewelry, scented candles and other creations by Bryan’s friends, local artists Cathy Bateman and Sue Schlenner.
Bryan first became interested in furniture rehabbing years ago when she began watching television shows that taught her how to transform battered junkyard finds into something you’d welcome into your living or dining room. Her interest intensified when she left her job as an insurance adjustor after more than a decade.
‘There’s really no creativity in paying claims,? Bryan said.
When Bryan and her family moved to Lake Orion from St. Clair Shores in 1998, she learned the area by combing garage and estate sales.
Bryan would pack her children’Ian, 20, Kara, 16, Erin, 13, and Kyle, 10’into the car and drive all over the Lake Orion and Oxford area in search of overlooked treasures.
‘I grew addicted to taking vintage furniture pieces and refurbishing and re-purposing them,? she said.
‘I realized I could have wonderful, quality furniture this way without it costing a fortune.’I furnished my entire home this way, and found I couldn’t stop myself.’I started renting spaces in craft and antique malls, doing shows, and selling on eBay.?
The next step was a shop of her own. Kristy Kowatch, friend and owner of local children’s resale store, Twice Blessed, helped Bryan navigate the Lake Orion business scene. Bryan was sure she wanted her store downtown.
‘I want to see more shops here, to make it a destination for people who live outside of the area to come downtown,? she said. ‘We have so many wonderful shops now that I hope most people will opt to come and browse locally, as opposed to shopping in bland, impersonal malls.?
Bryan opened Chic Antiques in July. In addition to the rehabbed furniture, the shop carries all-natural candles, organic soaps and lotions by Cozy Nook Creations; necklaces, earrings, wine stoppers and dip spreaders from Sooz Jewelry; and custom-made shades for vintage lamps and pillow slipcovers from LA Designs. There are also hand-painted watercolor cards and bookmarks by Migi.
Behind the store in the alley is The Shabby Shed, which features outdoor furniture in a garden area.
Seasonal items are available for sale outside year-round.
Chic Antiques is located at 20 N. Broadway. Visit Bryan’s website at www.uniquechicantiques.com