Recycle

I love recycling! Not so much the compiling of plastics, metals and glass in neat little bins (which we do get to do here in Boise!), but the reclaiming of vintage or dated items and repurposing them for a new life.

I dabbled in it some in Yazoo, often taking the castoffs of clients or neighbors and selling them online or at my little booth downtown (which I miss!). There were some exciting sales--like the boxes of Coca-Cola paraphernalia that found its way into a local collector's stash and the dusty old book (written by William Faulkner's grandfather) from Mrs. Wilburn's home library that ended up in the University of Virginia's Faulkner collection.

 I enjoyed working on the occasional vintage travel trunk, ornate mantle, antique sewer and Japanese tea chest found at estate sales. Researching historic or odd items and discovering their value was always a fascinating process. Working with older clients who were seeking to downsize was a special and often tender process as I learned the personal, sweet stories of how a certain item came into their possession.

Doing an entire estate sale—one of my last challenges in Yazoo—was an exhilarating experience! For days, I discussed and met with buyers whose eyes lit up as they walked into the house; they had come on a treasure hunt, and none of them left empty handed. I learned stories from both sides—neighbors stopped in to tell stories of the sweet little lady who had once lived there and ended up taking home a piece of her special home collection; others came with stories of what they needed or desired—a piano for their little girls to start lessons on, kitchen supplies to replace what they had lost in a house fire, and unique pieces to make a daughter’s new college apartment feel homey.

Right now, we’re working on our new home. The entire downstairs is completely gutted and we will finally begin the process of recreating the space as we’d like it. After 35 years, this house is getting a serious facelift.

But part of the process, for us, is to keep as much as we can out of a landfill.

The cabinets were the first to go—to a sweet couple who plan to resurface and install them in their own kitchen renovation. Another couple came by and helped us pull up about 400 square feet of coral-colored carpet which will now insulate the floor of their garage.

Old light fixtures, laminate countertops and even the cast iron sink will get to go and live somewhere new. And along the way, we’ve made some new friends—many of whom are transplants to Boise themselves.

I guess it's no surprise that the motto for our business is "Once was old, now repaired, good as new." We love seeing things get a fresh start. Call it reclaiming, reincarnation or recycling; it's all good.