Publishing a How-to Book and the Journey its Taken Me On

Last year, I published a book on how to upcycle vintage furniture and home decor pieces, compiling everything I've learned - and what works really well - when it comes to this process. It felt incredibly good pulling all my years of expertise together and collecting it all in one place. So when those new to the practice of thrifting and upcycling want to begin, I have just the resource for them. If you've been thinking about it, this is your place to start!

This journey of growing my business, Furniture at 151 has taught me so many valuable lessons.

• If your gut is telling you a piece of vintage furniture can be saved, it's almost always worth the effort to restore it so its story can live on for decades to come.

• Trust your vision. Even if it feels a bit 'out there', take the leap anyway.

• Sometimes getting swept away in the creative zone is the best medicine.

With over a decade's worth of restored dressers, tables, night stands, cabinets, home decor pieces and more, the art of reimagining and recreating vintage items is what I know and love. But here I am with a published book on the subject and accomplishing this new goal has taught me even more. I love telling the story around each item, I enjoy the history and the craftsmanship and connecting with previous owners of each piece as well. I am always thrilled to chat with other upcyclers to hear all about what they're working on and what they're big vision is. It feels really good to offer this kind of support, in the form of my how-to guide, to other creatives like me.

I've just experienced my very first author signing at the Indigo store in Guelph, Ontario, and that day brought everything full circle. I was joined by my husband, Len, who also recently published his own book, and getting to share this new chapter with him has been the most meaningful. From my early days of upcycling and envisioning what my business could be, to now having my book here, guiding others, grateful is an understatement.

I have a lineup of other upcoming author signings in various locations around southern Ontario and I would love to connect with you and sign your own copy for you, if you're in the area. Come say hi!

There are many reasons to upcycle and bring unique, previously-loved pieces back to life and I, of course, have mine. Whatever yours are, I wish you all the creative flow and enjoyment in the process, because there's nothing quite like giving new life to something beautiful, that still has a story to tell.

-Bev

Purchase a copy of How to Upcycle Vintage Furniture: A Beginner's Guide to DIYing and Upcycling Furniture and Home Decor here!