Green Spark 5: Upcycle.

Kelsey Waletich upcycles furniture at her business, The Painted Past. Photo by Troy McQuillen

New Business Reinvents Old Furniture

By Doug Card, Britton Journal

The Painted Past is a family affair. Kelsey Waletich is at right; her mother, Pudgie McMahon, is at left, and between them are Waletich’s daughters, Grey and Galle Waletich. Photo by Elaine Steen/Steen Photography

• Green Spark 1: Use Passive Solar.
• Green Spark 2: Recycle What You Can.
• Green Spark 3: Recycle Creatively.
• Green Spark 4: Consider Powering Your Business with the Sun.
• Green Spark 5: Upcycle.
• Green Spark 6: Go Geothermal.
• Green Spark 7: Find Common Ground on Net Metering.
• Green Spark 8: Get an Energy Audit.
• Green Spark 9: Recycle and Make Money for Your Community.
• Green Spark 10: Use Reusable Bags.
• Green Spark 11: Encourage New Mothers to Breastfeed.
• Green Spark 12: Make Sleeping Mats From Plastic Bags to Help the Environment and Others.

Where others might see an out-of-style, perhaps even ugly, lamp or table, Kelsey Waletich sees potential.

Waletich has opened a store in Britton called The Painted Past. She hand paints furniture, recycling old furniture into more modern pieces through a variety of methods.

“You can’t believe the tons and tons of furniture you can find that would end up in a burn pit somewhere,” she said. “It’s perfectly fine—just outdated and ugly.”

Waletich has always had an interest in decorating and painting old furniture, but the idea to turn that passion into a business came after her sister became involved with a similar business in Denver. The Painted Past is a family affair, as Waletich receives help from her mother, Pudgie McMahon, and her daughters, Grey and Galle.

Waletich enjoys taking something ugly and perhaps destined for the dump into a functional piece of furniture that’s beautiful and unique.