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They might be known for selling DIY supplies, but Re.Defined is so much more than that.

Set on the South Mountain of the Annapolis Valley, N.S., Rob Switzer and Dagny Whitehead operate Re.Defined, a DIY studio specializing in vintage style. They love to upcycle and use thrifted items to create beautiful home decor.

Although they have only been established in the Valley for the past few years, they have actually been in the business for the past 22 years, having done something similar where they lived in Ontario.

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According to Whitehead, the business dream started long ago in a small basement. They knew they wanted a business that followed their passion for combining antique goods alongside creativity.

It was something, she says, that she fell into because of her love of old doors and windows. She couldn’t bear to see them going to the landfill.

“This meant paint would be spilled, wood would be shaped, and signs would be made, all within the comfort of our home basement,” she explains.

Eventually, the basement was too small, explains Whitehead, and the dream became bigger.

A new building was acquired, and the growth began. She says their award-winning business became renowned.

Moving to Nova Scotia

Then, after many successful years, Whitehead says they decided to take a personal retreat to Nova Scotia. They hadn’t planned on staying, but realized they didn’t want to return home afterwards. A short while later, they moved from Ontario to Nova Scotia.

“The time came where we listed the business and had to say goodbye to our dream of oh-so-long, and say hello to a new one,” says Whitehead.

From there, Re.Defined was born. Through this new business, they haven’t lost their flair from the past, but now try to create artistic modern pieces that everyone would love to embrace in their lives.

One of the most popular items they create, says Whitehead, is their distressed shelving and vintage headboard benches.

When it comes to inspiration, she looks at old pieces that they have and lets them inspire her. Sometimes it takes a while to be inspired about a particular piece, but once that happens, the end results happen quite quickly, she says.

Additionally, they do quite a bit of custom work. People send them a picture of something that they would like them to build, and they reproduce it.

For example, she describes how there was a couple who commissioned them to do quite a few pieces for their home being built in Cape Breton. Whitehead says they took old dressers and mirrors and refurbished them and made them into their vanities for their en suites.

“We actually gave a tour through our house, and they wanted one of our dressers, so we took it and made it into a vanity for them,” says Whitehead.

With the economy as it is, Whitehead says it’s important to listen to what their customers want rather than what they really want to create.

It’s about being aware of what the market is requiring and creating that within their own philosophy, she adds.

Trial and error

Initially, to learn their art, as they are self-taught, it involved a lot of trial and error and watching a lot of how-to videos.

Now, they take the knowledge they’ve learned and share it with others by offering a variety of arts and crafts workshops. They also hold Junk journaling workshops where participants repurpose discarded materials like old books, papers, to create personalized and unique journals.

Anyone wishing to view or make a purchase from Re.Defined, can find them on Facebook and Instagram under the same name.

They can also be found online at redefinedforyou.com , where there is also a list of their upcoming workshops. They also have a newsletter where upcoming classes are announced.

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