A woman turns "trash into treasure" by collecting dumped or unwanted furniture and "flipping" it - and has made $28k in two years.
Emily Marlett, 26, started upcycling cabinets, dressers and chairs in May 2020 after becoming unemployed.
She learned how to use power tolls to create DIY pieces for her new home but started to sell the items after family encouragement a few months later.
Emily picks up rubbish for free on ‘bulk trash removal’ day, when people leave unwanted items outside their home twice a year.
She also finds broken furniture in second hand shops, and spends between four and 24 hours cleaning, fixing and revamping it.
Emily was able to go part-time with her dental hygienist job in May 2022 after making $1,000 a month selling the upcycled furniture on Facebook Marketplace.
Emily from Louisville, Kentucky, US, said: “I take trash and turn it into something beautiful.
“It’s crazy what people were throwing out.
“All it takes is a little bit of paint and sanding.
“You don’t have to be super creative to flip furniture.
“Everybody can do it.
“It’s so rewarding.”
Emily taught herself how to use power tools when she was doing up her first home in 2020.
She said: “I was unemployed and looking for a way to supplement my income.
“I flipped furniture for myself for my home.
“My family wanted to buy it off me.”
After realising she could make money off her new hobby Emily started finding abandoned furniture to do up.
Her neighbourhood leaves out their items to throw away twice a year – so Emily is able to get lots of her finds for free.
She said: “It’s stuff that goes to landfill if it’s not collected.
“People like me come and get it.
“Most things are damaged or broken.
“It’s pieces that no one wants that require you to fix it.
“It’s rare you find something already beautiful.
“I give it a new life.”
Emily spends up to $50 on old furniture in resale stores and flips it for around $15 to $20.
She said: “Usually I will use a sander and a chemical to strip it to the natural colour. I clean it really well.”
She will then get creative painting or adding textures such as bamboo or wallpaper to the furniture.
Emily sells outdoor patio sets on for around $900, upcycled leather chairs for $250 each and dressers for $350.
Now she makes around $1,000 a month flipping furniture and is supported by her husband Zac, 26, an electrician.
Emily said: “A power drill was the first tool I bought.
“People don’t expect a woman to be working with power tools.
“People say ‘do you need help with that?'.
“You don’t often see a woman with a power tool.”
