Marlborough Magazine December/January Edition | Page 12

YOUR TRUSTED LOCAL GLASS COMPANY FOR OVER 34 YEARS Proudly supporting Pru & Co FOR ALL YOUR GLASS, WINDOW AND WINDSCREEN NEEDS. Talk to us about the latest innovations: • Frameless Balustrades • Splashbacks • Windscreen Repairs • Retrofit Double Glazing • Frameless Glass Showers P: 578 0850 Formerly NORM FOWKE GLASS 47 Grove Rd, Blenheim [email protected] www.viridianglass.co.nz The joy of colour and creativity 100% LOCAL FAMILY BUSINESS Proud to support our lovely, cheerful business neighbours Pru & Co 100% QUALIFIED LADIES HAIRSTYLISTS AND BARBER • Ladies • Mens • Children • Preschool • Wet Shaves No Bookings Required for Haircuts Please enquire to make appointment for wet shave 25 GROVE ROAD, MAYFIELD 03 578 5958 STORY BY KAT PICKFORD It could be the paint colours inspired by hues of the Pacific, or maybe it’s the creative vibe of people who love what they do. Whatever the case, it’s impossible not to get a little inspired and excited when stepping inside Pru & Co furniture upcycling. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Grove Rd at the end of a nondescript driveway, Pru & Co’s workshop and retail space is full of life and colour; a patchwork of beautifully restored furniture and a buzzing hive of inspiration. “It’s all about finding the joy in the pieces around us.” says Pru, creative mastermind and owner behind this inspiring business. Pru folds herself into the gorgeously patterned cloud-like pillows of a vintage French wrought iron day bed, one of her recent acquisitions. “We’ve all got pieces of furniture at home that have past their glory days, gathering dust in the garage or for whatever reason are no longer loved,” Pru says. “We help breathe new life into those pieces, bringing them into the 21st century and making them pop with the use of colour.” When Pru established the business almost two years ago, she envisioned a showroom filled with beautifully restored furniture, with a bit of commission work on the side. But it appears her mission to upcycle pre-loved furniture has struck a creative chord with others who are keen to reuse what they have on hand, and she has been inundated with requests to revamp old furniture. Commission work at Pru & Co is booked out weeks in advance and the retail shop space has been gobbled up by the burgeoning workshop, where �creative genius� Wendi Hamilton and �quirky genius� Lesley Wilson work their magic with brush and paint. “Commission work - revamping old furniture has taken off far beyond expectations,” Pru says. “People are wanting to reuse what they have and are thinking outside the square about how to repurpose or reuse old furniture, rather than throwing it away and buying new.” Wendi who is constantly searching for pieces to work on (primarily the dump shop and online garage sale) loves the chance to work with people’s old furniture. “There’s a story behind every single piece we work on and there’s a lot of love in people’s furniture,” Wendi says. “People have an emotional attachment to their furniture, so it’s always a bit nerve racking when they come in and see the finished result. “We don’t want any piece leaving here unless they love it.”