You see them in antique stores, consignment shops and on HGTV. There’s a $12 billion market for upcycled furniture and projected to more than double by 2027 according to Verified Market Research, a firm identifying market trends. You see the finished product but countless hours of work goes into finding the right pieces to refinish and refurbish them. In Flagler County, Rick and Michelle Cicero, owners of ReStore, ReNew, ReCycle are turning their passion for fun, funky or fancy restoration into retail.
Tell readers a bit about yourselves. How did you meet, end up in Flagler?Â
We met and married in Jacksonville, I am originally from Iowa and Rick is from western New York. After Rick retired we moved to Palm Coast. We enjoy the quiet this town has to offer and close proximity to everything we need. Since moving here we have purchased bikes and are enjoying all the trails. We enjoy our home and yard and everything that goes with being a home owner.
Where does your love of restoring pre-owned treasures come from and how long have you been doing it?Â
Individually we have both enjoyed refinishing furniture for years but together we have been doing this for the past 8 years. Early on Rick would buy one piece and fix it, I would paint it after I got home from work and then he would sell it to buy another. We have had many pieces of furniture pass through our hands since those early days.
We met at the Super Scenic Garage Sale. Is that how you find unique items?Â
We always look forward to the Super Scenic Garage Sale it is a favorite of ours. But we are always on the hunt in thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales to name a few.
Professional decorators and even people who love to change up their home are always on the lookout for one of a kind pieces or something special. Where can they find your creations, and do you do custom work if a customer brings you a piece?Â
We have space in a store Junque in the Trunk in Flagler Beach. In large part that is where our clients find us. There they can see our style, touch it, interact with it. We have been hired by several local clients to recreate their homes. We fully enjoy the process of meeting them getting to know their style. Some know exactly what they want others leave it up to us. We always direct them to our Facebook page Restore Renew Recycle and Pinterest page of the same name for additional ideas. It has given us an opportunity to meet all sorts of wonderful people and also guide them to all the things we enjoy the beaches, restaurants, and biking trails. Many come here from the north to buy a second home or retire they bring their dark furniture and in a short time at the beach are ready for a lighter brighter look and we are happy to help.
Do you have a favorite style or era that you enjoy working with?Â
For Rick and I our favorite style is the clean, simple lines of Mid-Century. But the French Provincial style gives us so many options in techniques because of all the details. We have really never found a piece of furniture that we haven’t liked.
