CULLMAN – A unique shop right here in Cullman that you can’t miss is Just Repurposed, located at 8200 US Highway 31, Number B in Hanceville. Just Repurposed was opened in June 2013 and recently celebrated its one year anniversary. The idea of the shop was developed after owners, Nancy and Mike, learned they were going to be grandparents.
“We had a few pieces of baby furniture we had kept over the years. Together they were a hodge podge of periods and styles. Nancy had the vision of painting them in a way the hodge podge became a cohesive designed group and fit together making a very unique grandbaby room,” comments Mike, reflecting on the experience.
Around the same time in 2011, the business for which Nancy had been working for the past 15 years closed its doors for good. It was also at this time Mike, a freelance art/creative director, decided to open a store after seeing a decrease in income in the print market due to the move towards electronics. The next year was spent preparing to open a business using a number of hand-painted pieces Mike already had that had been shown at the Magic City Connection and Naked Art Gallery in Birmingham.
Nancy explains in her own words what they do at Just Repurposed: “What sets us apart is we are not a thrift store, nor are we an antique store. We are more like a page out of Pinterest. We take items with good bones and repurpose them. Sometimes we have to combine pieces to make a unique accent piece. Other times we feel the piece is in need of hand-painted art to set it apart and give it that great new life it deserves. We also paint and repurpose for others who have the piece they want to keep in the family, but do not have the vision we have. Or, they may just not have the ability or location to do the work on their own.”
Just what prompts the style and creativity in order to revitalize and reawaken these sturdy pieces of functionality?
“The piece itself inspires us. It may have a unique shape from the 40s or that art deco style of the 80s, which are severely dated and only interesting to a small number of people. By the time we repurpose and complete the piece, the number of those interested will be 30 times that. Nancy has the vision of color while Mike is the "artist" side of the painting,” they collectively state.
Every piece is unique and given its own individual personality or story to tell. Nancy remarks, “People like to tell stories. We like to learn about the pieces we get from people, or at least add something unique to them to give people that story to tell. We recently repurposed a piece for Mike's daughter in Tuscaloosa. It was built by her grandfather from skids he got at the family owned print shop. The handles were original handles from typesetter trays, not the reproductions made today. We took the piece down to its bones, transformed it, and added floor grates found at Southern Accents to the doors and now it is a story all its own.”
The owners’ cohesive, artistic vision makes every piece unique and a great addition to your home. Bring your own piece to be transformed or come to Just Repurposed to see what masterpieces are already available. Follow them on Facebook to keep up with current transformations, or give them a call at 256-339-0982 for more information. Their hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
