Behind the Mask: Revival of the Thriftest

Today, we feature a newbie to the furniture flipping world. Helen, owner of Revival of the Thriftest, started flipping furniture as a hobby and six months later started her own business. She loves to take old unwanted furniture and give it a new life through design. Follow her on Instagram to see more of Helen's flips and how she does it. 

Q: When did you start your business?
A: I realized I was interested in learning how to flip furniture in January 2021 and was able to actually start my business in July 2021!

Q: How did you first get into Refurbishing furniture?
A: I’ve always been interested in taking old unwanted furniture and making it new. Up until the end of 2020, I was in Marketing Technology for a large corporation and like many people found myself laid off due to Covid-19. It wasn’t long before I knew I could turn my DIY hobby into a full-time job…and that’s what I did!

Q: If you could give anyone starting out one piece of advice, what would it be?
A: Just get started no matter if it is big or small - just start. Do whatever you feel is a challenge and exciting for you. Perhaps you start by re-doing that dresser you’ve had since you were a child and doesn’t match your décor anymore. Or go to your local thrift store and find something inexpensive and small that needs help and try your hand at flipping it. Either way, keep notes on both challenges and wins you faced during the flip process. This will help you tremendously as you continue flipping!

 Q: What aspects of your DIY work call for your RZ Mask?
A: ALWAYS wear a dust mask when cleaning your pieces and sanding. The RZ Mask has been a wonderful addition to my flip essentials because it is extremely light weight, very breathable and easy to put on and take off. Particularly after sanding a large piece, I can tell just how well it works from the amount of debris all over me, except for where my mask was!

Q: Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve flipped?
A: I have so many “favorite” projects, but I believe there is one in particular that stands out. I turned a beachy looking armoire into a modern “bar-moire”! I got the piece from a friend who didn’t want it anymore. This was one of my first experiences using a circular saw so that I could modify the inside and add remote lights.
 

Click to read Helen's tips to flipping your own piece of furniture.