Handy Mandi

Amanda Marzec

I find quality vintage furniture everywhere from the side of the road, to garage sales, to flea markets. My finds are typically from our local suburbs to the southern tier. I like to recycle and reuse furniture that big box stores are recreating and overpricing. I have always had a love for interior design. I have taking my love for that, along with my non-stop creative thinking, and turned it into my own business. Most of my work I use real, wood furniture made in the USA. I love the fact that it all has a little part of history to it. A big part of recreating a piece is imagining the room that it was once placed in. I have always been a do it yourself kind of person. I can remember when I was 13, and took leftover paint from my friend’s garage and we painted my entire bedroom set with it! I have done pieces for myself, friends, and family. Now I'm creating for a long list of amazing clients. With all of my furniture I have a typical process that I usually do with each and every piece. All the painted and stained furniture is striped of the old finish, even the metal pieces. I know most upcylers just sand and paint over it. I feel as though you just can't get that perfect look and finish unless you get to that original wood. Many times once I see the wood I can't bring myself to paint it. I will change the whole design. I love to mix stain with paint and paint some pieces that way. Sometimes, I will just stain parts of a piece. Depending on the condition and style of the piece, sometimes it just needs a good cleaning and waxing. I love to take the new pieces that I create and pair them with modern accents and fun colors to give it that one of a kind look! I also refurbish old lamps and lighting fixtures. I put in new wiring, and paint new lampshades to create a vintage/modern twist. I also recreate various mirrors and old picture frames. I love creating furniture out of items one would not think to use as furniture. My mind is always thinking of new ways to reuse something that would just be tossed aside. I started small and growing with time. I am a mother of 2 two. I have a showroom located inside my family's hardware store located in Depew at 5029 Broadway. I recently fulfilled a dream by being a contestant on an episode of HGTV's Flea Market Flip. "How Handy is Mandi?" aired in Sept 2017 and plays in re-runs on HGTV and Great American country. My business has seen much growth in the past year. It is my passion and I feel very blessed to get to do what I love. I also love that I inspire others with my work.