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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 [1]

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 “It’s perfectly fine—just outdated and ugly.”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.

“My goal is that when customers buy furniture from me it is something different that can’t be manufactured or reproduced, and nobody else is going to have that product,” Waletich said.