Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rebecca Leslie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rebecca, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My studies in environmental design and production design inspired me from the very beginning to be a thoughtful, eco-friendly designer. I also had the good fortune to live in a community that embraced an environmentally responsible lifestyle. The idea of repurposing building materials and furniture and breathing new life into them is what prompted me to open my first business at the age of 26 in Boulder, CO. I had a furniture store called Good Use where I refinished and sold second hand furniture. The ten years I had my store further drove home to me that people wanted and needed economical, eco-conscious design options. So I expanded my business into cabinetry. I have owned and operated REB (Refinishing Everything Beautiful) since 2019. I love that I get to give my clients the impact of a kitchen remodel, re-using what they already own. Money and planet saved. Win win.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Rebecca, but those who know me, call me Reb. I have over twenty years of design experience starting in 1992 with my undergraduate studies at CU in the Environmental Design Architecture program followed by my graduate studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in their Production Design program. I opened my first furniture store, Good Use, on Pearl Street in Boulder when I was 26. I spent 10 amazing years refinishing furniture and being featured on networks such as HGTV and in magazines like Sunset and Working Woman. When I decided to start a family I closed my storefront but continued to do kitchen cabinet & furniture refinishing, converting my garage into my paint studio and enabling me to work from home and raise my two beautiful daughters.

Now that my girls are older, I have expanded my refinishing business again to a new workshop in the heart of Boulder. If you love the idea of updating your space by repurposing the cabinets or furniture you already own and saving thousands of dollars then I’m your gal! Everyone gets an itch for change, but big remodels and interior design updates are expensive and time consuming and that’s where I come in. Let me give your stuff a fresh new look with limitless choices that can guarantee you a unique, fresh look that your friends won’t have. Call me today and let’s get creative!!!

In addition to saving your old (and probably well made) cabinets and furniture pieces from the landfill, we hand sand and hand paint all our projects eliminating hazardous refinishing materials such as stains, strippers, varnishes and other oil based products. We believe in recycling, repurposing and refinishing!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

WORD OF MOUTH! Hands down the best way to build up new clients is to maintain and foster your current clients. When I take the time to build up solid, personal relationships with my current clients they are going to tell their friends and neighbors about me. And I am not shy about outright asking them to. I stress to each and everyone of them how much their kudos on both social media and in person mean the world to me and my small business.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Less than a month after signing my lease on a new workshop in Boulder that was going to cost a fortune, my husband was diagnosed with AML. (Leukemia.) This turned my world upside down. That very first day in the hospital knowing we had months of treatment ahead of us with no guarantee of the outcome, I told him I needed to back out of the lease. I hadn’t even moved into the space yet. He looked at me and said I had to keep going. That this was what I excelled at and I needed it even more so, because he may not be around. It was a pressure I had never felt before. How on earth was I going to do this? Well it’s true what they say… It takes a village, I had my family and friends rally around me and help me move into the space, setting up work tables and sanding tents. I even had a friend assist me in clients homes, holding up cabinet doors as I reinstalled them with a shaky hand. In addition I sought help from a life coach who helped me remember who I was at my core and that this was what I knew and could do in my sleep. We coined the term “cruise control” as my mantra. I just need to remain steady and stay on course. And I did. My husband is now 4 years cancer free and I am a little less shaky installing doors. ;)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rebfinishing.com
• Instagram: rebfinishing
• Facebook: REB Refinishing Everything Beautiful

Image Credits
Megan Sweeney, Big Heart Film