Ortonville- Apryl Laurin and Tyson Cypher rescue unwanted items and remake, revive, or restore them into desired, unique, and whimsical home d’cor.
The co-owners of The Local Relic, 417 Mill St., have made it their mission to fill their new shop with upcycled and repurposed items.
‘We do trash to treasure,? said Laurin, who opened The Local Relic with Cypher on April 13. ‘I save items from landfills? We are huge garbage pickers and go to garage sales and flea markets. We can make anything’it’s a curse.?
A recent visit to the charming village shop showed a wide array of eclectic offerings’including a chandelier made of mason jars, a sage green bench, hand-painted tile coasters, a child’s antique ride-on fire truck, wall art, mirrors, tables, hutches and more.
Laurin and Cypher proudly show a former twin-size bed that has been remade into a bench with reupholstered fabric.
Laurin, a stay-at-home mother for eight years and first-time business owner, was inspired by the craft website Pinterest. She and Cypher moved to Goodrich and are helping her parents with their farm. They began restoring furniture and she took on several smaller home d’cor projects.
They have salvaged others? discarded items, even buying out entire garage sales and are more than happy to repaint or otherwise change an item they have already restored to please a customer’s tastes in color and style. Custom orders can also be done from items the client already owns.
‘If you bring in stuff, we will redo headboards, footboards, cribs, dressers, and more,? said Laurin. ‘We can make your rooms look brand new.?
Laurin calls Cypher ‘crazy handy.?
‘We try to do one-of-a-kind stuff that you won’t see anywhere else,? she said. ‘My intention is to not be resale. Everything in the store is custom-made? If you see something on Pinterest or have an idea or space to fill in your house, we can make it or duplicate it for half the cost of what you would find at another store? Give us your ideas. Nothing is too crazy, we love a challenge.?