From classroom to workroom – upcycling furniture is an education – St Helens Star

In March 2018, she launched Casa-Ancora Furniture & Home – an upcycled furniture shop in Rainford.

Here, in our latest Business of the Week feature, Rachel tells us what it was like selling renovated and upcycled furniture pre and post Covid, and why some items fly off the shelves.

If you would like your business to feature as Business or Trader of the Week, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

What’s your full name?

Rachel Hayhow

What’s the name of the business?

Casa-Ancora Furniture & Home

What’s the business address?

The Courtyard,

Inglenook Farm,

Rainford,

WA118AE

Are you the owner / manager?

I am the business owner.

When did you open the business?

Has it always been in the same location?

We started selling upcycled furniture at artisan market stalls and in a pop-up shop in Rainford’s Post Office until acquiring a unit at Inglenook Farm in March 2019.

Are you local to the area/ have you grown up here?

I grew up in St Helens and currently live in Rainford.

Tell me a bit about the business

At our studio, we display and sell our upcycled furniture. We use the award winning, environmentally friendly chalk and mineral Frenchic paint on all of our projects. We sell the full range of Frenchic products at our studio and we are on hand to offer advice to customers starting their own projects and home improvements. We also sell an eclectic mix of home décor and decorative accessories. Many of our décor items are Fair Trade items, responsibly sourced and made from recycled glass, iron and even tyres.

Why did you decide to open your own business?

After a 25-year career in education, I was ready for a change. In my spare time, I had begun to upcycle old furniture, painting unwanted and dated items, transforming them into updated, more desirable pieces of furniture. This hobby quickly began to grow as I painted items for friends and we began to sell furniture at local artisan markets. Saving furniture from landfill became a passion and it soon became obvious storage and display space was needed. So, we jumped at the chance of opening a studio in the courtyard of Inglenook Farm when one became available.

Were you open before/ during/ after the Covid19 pandemic. How did this affect your business?

As a non-essential shop, we had to close during the Covid lockdowns. We survived the pandemic by selling via click and collect. Frenchic paint was in very high demand during lock down as people tackled many DIY projects during this time!

What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

We are proud to re-purpose unwanted furniture that would otherwise be sent to landfill, using environmentally friendly Frenchic paint. We complement this with a range of Fair Trade home décor items and sustainable home accessories and gifts.

Why do loyal customers return to your business?

Our stock constantly evolves and changes. Our furniture pieces are unique and one off items and they can sell quite quickly. Our home décor, accessories and gifts are seasonal and constantly change. Many customers return regularly to see the stock available in our studio, which is often far more than is on our website.

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What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your business?

As the weather improves, we will be re-starting our furniture upcycling workshops which are a fantastic chance for people to learn how to begin their own upcycling journey.