From outside, the Bell residence in Ravenswood, Airdrie, looks like a regular single family home. But, stepping inside is like stepping into a real life Pinterest page or a beautifully decorated showhome. The home will give you inspiration and a tinge of envy. Home owner, and decorating genius Jessie Bell, has put clear thought and effort into each corner of her house, ensuring that the décor flows flawlessly throughout each room.

The beauty of the Bell house didn’t happen overnight. Like many new homeowners, Jessie obsessively scrolled through countless Pinterest boards for inspiration on furniture and interior design. After hours of searching, Jessie kept coming up empty and became increasingly frustrated that she couldn’t find the right colours or styles of furniture she wanted for her new home. The solution to her problem was simple, make the furniture herself!

Since then, Jessie has turned reviving furniture into a career, and is now the proud owner and operator of Airdrie Furniture Revival. To date, Jessie has revived over 700 pieces of furniture with many more projects on-the-go. Jessie ensures that each of her pieces serve as functional furniture, as well as artistic focal points in her client’s home.

“There are so many forgotten pieces of furniture that [sometimes] people just can't see past the ‘70's orange’ wood or the chunky obnoxious hardware. I love getting my hands on those and turning them into something beautiful. The best part is seeing [my client’s] reaction to the before and after, says Jessie.

The number one piece of advice Jessie gives her clients is an understanding the purpose each piece of furniture has within your home. Consider if the piece will serve an artistic purpose, be a functional furniture item or if it will be a worthy investment to revive. Jessie recognizes her client’s needs, and revives furniture to meet their style and functional requirements. “Putting time and money into a piece that isn't actually useful, ends up being a poor decision. You’ll want to replace it within a couple of years or even months.”

For her own home, Jessie has taken many steps to ensure that the décor suites her personal style, while being practical for her family. “I always consider if something will make my life harder. If it will then I try to come up with different solutions. I want my house to leave a certain impression on others, the ‘wow factor’. And I want to feel proud and happy when I look around at the design and decor, but it still needs to fit in with my life.”

Want to see more of Jessie Bell’s work? This September 9, she will be at The Prairie Girls Vintage Market in Cochrane with a large selection of her revived pieces for sale. Jessie has spent months preparing for the market and will have a large space, full of furniture, most of which have never been viewed by potential clients.

To learn more about Airdrie Furniture Revival or to ask Jessie Bell about furniture revival projects, please visit the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/airdriefurniturerevival