Two friends who shared a love for finding and refinishing discarded furniture are transforming their hobby into a small business in downtown Charlotte.
Jill Felice and Colleen Mandeville are putting all the pieces in place to open Flipping Redheads at 141A S. Cochran at the end of April. The shop, they say, is unlike other furniture or vintage stores since each chair, table, dresser or other functional finds on display has been upcycled with a "red headed twist."
"We're the garage sale queens," says Mandeville.
"We're into upcycling," says Felice.
"We enjoyed it as a hobby and making things for our family," says Mandeville. "We just thought it would be a great opportunity to share what we make with Charlotte."
Felice and Mandeville said their shop will be populated with furniture, knick-knacks and Dixie Bell paint—a specialty chalk-paint line. Customers can browse and purchase pieces from the shop floor or pick a piece to take home and paint it themselves. The two redheads say they are on hand to offer guidance on technique, as well as to paint pieces for creative reuse on demand when asked.
"We tell people to go with their creativity," says Felice. "We learned it all on our own from dabbling. You never know where it will lead you, and you play around until you get something really special."
The redheaded business partners say they take pieces on consignment, and hope to begin offering classes once they get settled into the 9-by-53-foot shop.
"We're hoping to grow and hoping the community likes our creativity," says Felice. "In the meantime, we're enjoying this journey. We're very good friends and have been for about 10 years. It's just relaxing."
Source: Jill Felice and Colleen Mandeville, Co-owners, Flipping Redheads
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
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