Every fall, the Sunflower Art and Craft Market showcases creativity, filling the Gallagher Centre with booths that show a wide range of art, crafts, food and creative goods, all for sale to the public.
Jennifer Petrichuk of Old School Furnishings was at Sunflower for the first time, showing off her unique furniture. Starting with old pieces, Petrichuk paint and refinishes them, often giving them a new use in the process. A former sewing machine becomes a new sink, a chest of drawers becomes a dog kennel.
“What I do is try to find old furniture, scout it out anywhere that I can,” Petrichuk said.
Each piece takes a lot of time. They are sanded down, repainted and refinished, and become completely different pieces in the process. She uses automotive primer and clear coat as finish, so the sanding doesn’t end when the first coat goes down. The goal is a smooth finish when it’s over.
Petrichuk said that when she’s hunting for pieces, she’s looking for solid wood, and pieces with character. While they’re not necessarily in the best of shape when she finds them, they’ve got a solid structure that can be saved.
“Sometimes you luck out, sometimes you have to do a lot of fixing, but in the end it’s worth it.”
Many of the pieces repurpose the furniture into something completely different, and Petrichuk said some pieces are easier than others when it comes to making something new.
“Usually when I pick up a piece I have a vision right away, but sometimes I don’t. Sometimes you have to search on Pinterest or whatever to get ideas just to get that vision for that piece.”
The goal is to make pieces that fit for the entire family.
“We try to get all ages.”
As a first time exhibitor, Petrichuk said that it has been a great weekend, and the traffic has helped her accomplish her goal, get her name and designs in front of people, and start to get a bit of interest. She doesn’t have a storefront or anything, but hopes that as people see the work they can find a place in their home for it.
If you are interested in Petrichuk’s furniture, look on Facebook at Old School Furnishings by Jen Petrichuk.
