Meet the innovative Northants business owner giving old furniture a new lease of life for a living
This innovative Northamptonshire business owner has found success in giving old furniture a new lease of life, and was recently shortlisted for a regional award.
My House on the Hill, which offers furniture upcycling in Brackley, was nominated in the ‘Service Small Business’ category at the East Midlands Small Business Awards.
The venture was founded by Kym Curtis back in 2017, and she left her previous role three years later in January 2020 to take on My House on the Hill full-time.
Furniture upcycling began as a hobby for the founder 10 years ago, until it gradually gained momentum and her success began when she set up a Facebook page.
When asked to describe her bespoke offering, Kym said: “I bring old furniture back to life and give it more longevity. It’s easy to buy something cheap but it doesn’t last as it’s not well-made.”
Kym tailors the designs to suit people’s styles and colour schemes, and she often adds decades of use to already long-standing items.
Though Kym described leaving her job just before the pandemic as a scary time, people being at home worked in her favour. As many sat staring at furniture they did not like anymore, commissions saw the business through the uncertain time.
The founder is committed to using locally sourced products, often from recycling centres and Facebook Marketplace, as well as environmentally friendly materials.
With the current cost of living crisis and a greater consciousness about living in a throwaway society, people are starting to turn their backs on flat pack and mass-produced furniture.
Kym believes consumers are leaning towards furnishing their homes in a sustainable way with vintage pieces, bespoke items saved from landfill, or having their own furniture overhauled.
When asked why January 2020 was the right time to leave her previous job, Kym said: “It was just a leap of faith really, and it had a really good reception.
“I wanted to see how it went and had a two-year plan. The goal was to do it full-time, and I was lucky that I only worked part-time and could devote the rest to the business before then.”
Kym caters to her diverse client base from a workshop in the garden of her Brackley home, which was kindly built by her husband.
One of the founder’s proudest achievements since launching My House on the Hill is that a lot of customers trust her with sentimental family heirlooms, to create something they will treasure for years to come.