If you are looking for a unique holiday gift, or you are part of the pandemic home reno craze, recycled, upcycled, or repurposed home furnishings and accessories should be on your list. Buying recycled, upcycled, or repurposed goods is an environmentally friendly way to shop because you are keeping things out of landfills, and you are saying “no” to mass produced items that are often of inferior quality and will not last. As a bonus you are supporting local artisans and small businesses in your community.

Since our first issue, This Awful Awesome Life has featured local artists, artisans, authors, and entrepreneurs who are impacting their professions. This month, we are proud to feature the creative talents of Pittsburgh native, Tracey Lewis.

1.       How did you get started?

When COVID hit, I just couldn’t sit around, so I learned to Bookfold using books I was finished with.

2.       What was the first piece you created?

The first Bookfold I made was a heart. Next, I tried some other crafts and eventually I tried refinishing a dresser I got for free from Market Place. My husband repaired the two broken legs for me. I painted it navy and tried my first transfer

3.       Did you have experience with upcycling and repurposing pieces for your own home?

Yes, instead of buying new furniture, I painted the furniture pieces in my bedrooms.

4.       When did you realize there was a market for the items you were creating?

My friends and family liked the pieces I created and told me I should sell them, so I decided to try it and people started buying things.

5.       Is it easy for you to reimagine a piece of furniture?

I follow a lot of people on Facebook and Instagram to get ideas.

6.       Have you ever not been able to reimagine a piece?

Not really. I see how I would use the piece and start from there.

7.       Do you ever get it wrong? Is it easy to correct a mistake?

I have put a transfer on a painted table and not liked it, so I sanded it off and chose something else.

8.       Have you done any commissioned pieces?

No, I don’t really want to do commission pieces because then it becomes a job, and it becomes stressful. I like to make something and if someone likes it, they buy it. If not, maybe next time.

9.       How long have you been selling your creations at the Antique Loft at Trax Farms?

I was looking for paint one day and I found the Antique Loft. It has been awesome! I started in February 2021.

10.   What is the most satisfying part of giving a piece of furniture a new life?

The before and after, for sure – many pieces go from trash to treasure.

11.   When you acquire an item, do you have a specific plan for it, or do you think about it for a while?

Most of the time I think about it for a while before I start to work.

12.   Have you considered teaching workshops on upcycling/repurposing furniture?

No, I’m definitely not a professional. If anything, I’d like to learn more.

13.   How can our readers buy your products?

I sell my pieces at Trax Farm Antique Loft Booth # X05. They can also email me at tljoy22@comcast.net.

We are also having a Vintage Holiday Show at Ultimate Dance Complex 395 Valleybrook Road in McMurray, PA 15317 on November 21 from 9:00AM – 4:00PM

14.   Do you have a FACEBOOK page for your creations?

No, I don’t currently have a FACEBOOK page to exclusively display my work.

The Antique Loft at Trax Farms is located at 528 Trax Road in Finleyville, PA 15332 (12 miles south of Pittsburgh on Route 88).

The Antique Loft is open Monday -Sunday 10:00AM – 5:00PM.