Old Lives Tale: These Upcycle Gurus Know How to "Spruce" Things Up

By Amy Gabriel
January 10, 2011

The Sprucettes: Meredith Carmichael; Amanda Brown; Clar Mapes

If you log onto the laptops of Amanda Brown, Meredith Carmichael or Clar Mapes, you will find bookmarked eBay searches for terms like “horse fabric”, “vat dyes” and “chair needs" (as in, "Needs recovering. Needs upholstering. Needs TLC!"). Seem odd? Not if you spend your days revamping vintage and second-hand furniture like these upcycled furniture gurus of Spruce, a furniture redesign studio in Austin, TX.

With their work gracing Austin hotspots such as the boutique retreat, Hotel Saint Cecilia, and the newly-opened W Austin Hotel, these miracle menders, referred to locally as the Sprucettes, are known for granting seen-better-days furniture a stylish second lease on life. Hundreds of wingback chairs, love seats, chaise lounges and dining room chairs in need of either a functionality or personality adjustment have received the VIP treatment (Vastly Improved Presence) thanks to the Spruce team. These three furniture upcyclers spend their days ripping tired upholstery off of chairs and sofas, then starting anew, using the furniture frame as a base, but transforming the overall aesthetic with a textile intervention.

Spruce Creations

Previous Next

circle pillows with fabric sourced from eBay
Photo Credit: all images courtest of Spruce
chair with floral linen fabric, soured from eBay
bench with legs sourced from eBay
armchair with fabric sourced from eBay
pillow made from fabric found on eBay

These furniture reupholstery experts have a library of trendy fabric favorites from favorite distributors, but tend to rely on eBay for specialty fabric requests. “When I search on eBay, it is for something specific,” said Spruce owner, Amanda Brown. In fact, the most popular piece of upholstery fabric the girls have ever found, a medium weight cotton with a bold, printed geometric cross design in red, purple, gold and cream, was found on eBay. “The colors were so vibrant. Too bad we didn't have it reproduced!”

When starting up the upcycled furniture business three years ago, the Spruce team also relied heavily on eBay for specialty tools of the trade. “We found a Klinch-it, this totally archaic medieval device to release staples around the springs, and a button machine,” said Amanda Brown. “We have to have it for our business and there is no real supplier for this stuff.” They also scored personal items on the cheap, like stylish Frye boots used to keep comfortable after a long day on their feet in their studio workroom.

Spruce TV - Pilot Episode: "Meet the Sprucettes!"(via YouTube)

The furniture upcycling team operates a storefront on N. Lamar Street in Austin that's teeming with stylish retail options ranging from lamps to pillows, along with an ecommerce website where you can scoop up samples of their work. But the majority of their work comes from custom client upholstery and furniture requests, leaving them to play the detective role in tracking down wish list items ranging from quirky mod bird fabrics to Mid Century sofas. Many of their finds come from local searches, which includes everywhere from an old farmhouse attic to a former insane asylum in Brady, TX. But for a more conventional click-and-search method, the gals rely on eBay as a lifeline resource, scouring the online auction site on a monthly basis for vintage fabric, bulk fabric, chair and bench legs, which the girls say are difficult to find but can completely transform a piece of furniture. “Ebay is such a powerhouse," said Brown. “It will usually have what we’re looking for.”

Over the summer, the Spruce team produced a TV pilot about their adventures in upholstering. They now have a reality show in the works, so even if you've yet to nab a custom piece, their work may soon be featured in your home (or at least on your TV screen).

Check out Amanda Brown's eBay fabric and furniture wish items, and the key words she searched to find them!

Roll over items for details

NEW 70s FABRIC Panton Retro

(starting bid, $20)

Vintage Asian Pagodas Barkcloth Era Linen Fabric

(buy it now price, $25.19)

Vintage Funky 60 Psychedelic Brocade Panton Fabric

(buy it now price, $9.99)

Geometric Green Curtain Retro Fabric

(buy it now price, $84.81)

Mid Century Asian Michael Taylor Baker Sofa Eames

(current bid, $99.99)

Six Mid-Century Dining Chairs Hollywood Regency

(current bid, $920)

Vintage Mid-century Platform Sofa Teak

(buy it now price, $800)

Danish Modern Slipper Chairs Mid-Century Eames

(current bid, $122)

Old Lives Tale: These Upcycle Gurus Know How to

1. Asian fabric prints: "Asian inspired textiles are very popular right now. Because this is vintage, there's no chance of this showing up on another piece of furniture."

2. vintage geometric fabric: "I'm a big fan of green and geometric patterns for a variety of styles, from masculine to modern and even classic. The fading of the green from lighter to darker also gives this piece a lot of depth. It almost looks like it has a sheen to it."

3. 60s vintage panton fabric: "The heavy woven texture and vibrant, yet neutral pattern of this remnant will punch up any neutral decor without looking too kitschy and retro."

4. 70s retro panton Fabric: "I love the mint condition of this textile combined with the bold, repeating pattern. I could see this used for pillows on a navy or bright red piece of furniture."

5. Mid Century sofa: "Just when I thought I had found a straightforward, classic modern loveseat, I noticed the slight curve of the legs. The Asian style of the legs is subtle enough to fit in any decor while making the sofa really unique, and it's a Baker, which means it is superb quality.

6. vintage dining chairs: "The starting price of this set initially caught my attention, but the Hollywood Regency style and button-tufted seats got me hooked."

7. armless slipper chairs: "My customers love slipper chairs and a pair can be pushed together to make a love seat or balance a large sofa."

8. Indoor teak furniture: "It's sleek, modern and has built-in side tables. I can see this in a cream colored boucle paired with brightly colored Murano table lamps."

Tags: