Our Story

Thank you for stopping in!!!

I’m Melanie, owner and creator of the NY Cottage Industry. I’m a creative mystic, mom, artist, poet, and lover of all things vintage and unique.

The New York Cottage industry is an eclectic lifestyle brand. We restore and upcycle vintage furniture and home decor. Our philosophy is based on the idea of bricolage, the art of creating from a diverse range of available things.

I’ve always been good at making things, I sew, I knit, and make jewelry. 4 years ago, we suffered through a break up that left us with a home but no furniture.

My daughter was in high school at the time and was significantly impacted by the emptiness of the house.

I had now assumed sole financial responsibility for the house, so money was very tight.

One evening after work and school my daughter says ‘‘Mom let’s just get a dining room set, so we can eat together and I can do my homework’’. I said ok, but inside I was alarmed. I was concerned for her and myself because I knew I only have 100 bucks!!!

I was looking on the web for deals and obviously unsuccessfully because of my budget.

So, I got the idea to go to the thrift store in a neighboring town. The table was the first treasure discovered. It was a beautifully oval shaped, Queen Anne style, and had mahogany legs that looked like a horse’s mane. This table was rich and lustrous in color. Honestly, this table would have costed hundreds of dollars and I got it for 40 bucks.

I was super excited about the hunt and my end goal was to get my little lady a dining room set.

I went back to the same store, 2 weeks later, and found 4 Gustavian styled chairs for 40 bucks. I stripped them, dry brushed them in flat dove grey B Moore paint. I went to Mood, here in NYC, and bought the Pottery Barn french cafe upholstery fabric and covered the seat cushions.

The end result was amazing. Everyone complimented us and no one knew I paid 80 bucks for it. But ultimately I was relieved that I’d created something that made my daughter feel better about this new life we were 

 

This is the dining room table with the up cycled chairs.

The New York Cottage Industry is a labor of love. It’s a testament of being creative and thinking outside of the norm. It’s about looking at your resources and pulling them in to create something totally new.

We hope the New York Cottage Industry will be a part of your creative story!!