Shopping for new-to-you furniture and home decor? Benjamin Bosse High School students may have what you’re looking for. Led by second-year college readiness instructor Leigh Gray, five construction classes transform pieces past their prime into stylish finds. “They don’t really even know how to hold a paintbrush or drill. They just haven’t done that before. It’s pretty green around here,” says Gray, a former boutique owner who moved to Evansville from Illinois three years ago.
Most projects involve artistic touch-ups or repairs on older items that could use some sparkle: kitchen chairs stenciled with pretty florals, end tables washed in trendy colors, even seven-piece dining sets given a showroom-ready finish. Class time is focused on repurposing items, with some construction activity involved. Once they gain experience, students can complete 3-4 projects per nine-week period of the academic year. Last year, about 50 pupils sold $10,547 worth of product.
They set the price for each piece and receive all sales proceeds — they “could use a few dollars in their pockets,” Gray says. Interest in the class has soared: 125 students enrolled this year. Always hunting for potential project pieces, “Every little trip I go on, I come home with a car load,” Gray says. Some buyers commission students to fix up one of their own pieces. Donated furniture is gratefully accepted, Gray says: “Evansville as a whole has been amazing at donating so many things.”
Purchase refurbished items or arrange donations delivery via Bosse’s Constructed Creations’ Facebook page.
