Revived and Restored Our story, Burton-on-Trent (2024)

Welcome to Revived and Restored; we are a small family-run business based in the beautiful countryside of Staffordshire. Mike and I (Melanie) are a father-daughter team and have always been passionate about the world of interiors.

I ran my own successful Interior Design Business for many years. Mike was a Partner for a firm of Chartered Accountants all his working life. I was taken aback on March 2016 when Mike (A.K. Dad) said, 'I'd like to go into business with you; what do you think?' I jumped at the chance as I really respect him, and we get on so well together. Then came the tricky part, what business?

As an interior designer, I was always on the hunt for pieces of furniture that would suit the style of decor I was designing for my customer. So, I suggested to Mike the idea of updating and repurposing preloved pieces of furniture. Before embarking on Revived and Restored, we had always upcycled furniture for our homes (25 years plus).

We bought some preloved vintage furniture, tools and materials and started working outside, in the garage on rainy days or in extreme weather in the house (shh, don't tell my mum)! Our team grew as we required a carpenter who comes weekly to repair or repurpose pieces we can't; he's called Rob, my sister-in-law's father, who fits in with us like a glove. My brother-in-law Zak, who works in e-commerce marketing, helped us produce our website, we value all of his expertise, and he is great to work with. So, I can safely say we are a family business.

People seemed to like our furniture, and we started selling online in December 2016. We then felt it was time to invest in a purpose-built Stable as our workshop to compliment the stunning 2-acre field rural space we had already worked in, which suits the surroundings perfectly. We have grown our business over the years, and in 2020 we tripled the size of our workshop to store furniture and our workshop area.

We then found an increasing number of people contacting us to see if we could revive their furniture and kitchens; this is when we induced our commissions as a service we now provide one of the warmest summers of 2016. We bought a horse trailer converted to show our furniture at artisan makers markets in Uttoxeter and Knutsford. We use it today as our collection and delivery vehicle, so loads of height and room to collect bedroom and dining room suits the list is endless! We have met some lovely and wonderful people along the way, and many have repeatedly returned to us.

In 2019, we started to offer a bespoke bathroom vanity service as we were becoming very successful in selling the ones we sell on the website. We now have a whole page dedicated to transforming bathroom vanities from old vintage pieces of furniture that was added in 2022.

We became a retailer of Wise Owl Paint Products in 2021. In 2022 we developed online furniture updating courses so you, too, can recreate pieces of furniture like ours to cherish for many years to come. First to be released was our beginners' course; coming up next will advanced workshops for those who want to learn different paint techniques and repurpose pieces of furniture into something different, like a working bathroom vanity unit.

We hope you continue to stay with us on our journey; we love what we do.

The end (for now!)

P.S. We can't wait to meet you and hear your story.

Melanie Wright Design and Paint techniques - her background is in interior design. Some of Melanie’s strengths are an appreciation of the marketplace we are in - what our customer base is looking for and an eye for detail.

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Mike Castree Repair and painting - after a life in accountancy, Mike has decided that he wants to work with what has always been his passion

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Rob Day Repair - a craftsman with many years of experience working as a woods craftsman

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Zak Hood Online Marketing - many years of experience working in marketing and e commerce for large businesses

Revived & Restored only source top quality, old vintage furniture with a long life ahead of it. Our role is to lovingly restore and transform these carefully chosen pieces to create something that surpasses their former glory. We often add a contemporary twist when transforming a piece of furniture, using our hand-painting expertise, giving each piece a unique finish, meaning any brush marks or inconsistencies will be a natural result of this artisan process.

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Before our in-house craftsman carries out any repair work (which may be necessary), each piece of furniture is accessed. Our design team will appraise each item to ensure a sympathetic paint technique is used. Two types of paint are used usually according to the style required for that piece of furniture:​​

• Rustic Style – Using chalk paint and a painting technique creates an illusion of age, giving the impression that the item of furniture has withstood the test of time. Given the age of individual items, they come with the usual imperfections you would expect from furnishings of yesteryear – but this only emphasises that each item of furniture is unique a one-off piece.

• Sleek Style - giving a crisp and updated finish. At Revived and Restored, we appreciate that the ageing process is not to everyone's taste, and we believe this style is an excellent alternative.

• Wood finishes - we offer a variety of varnished wooden tops which compliments the painted bases of the furniture. Our skilled artisans use only the highest-quality materials and finish to ensure that your furniture is beautiful and built to last. Wood finishes enhance the natural beauty of the wood grain, creating a warm and inviting look that is perfect for any room in your home.

• Furniture paint effects - are a fun and creative way to update your home decor and add a unique touch to your furniture. With various paint techniques and finishes available, we can transform an old piece of furniture into something new and exciting. Some popular furniture paint effects include distressed or shabby chic finishes, stencilling or decoupage and cross-hatching painting for a personalised touch. Whether you want to create a vintage vibe or add a pop of colour, the possibilities are endless with furniture paint effects.