The Upcycled Barn – Breathe New Life into Old Beauties

Walking into The Upcycled Barn, time takes on a new quality. The outside world hushes, the light filters softly past the multitude of items stacked in the windows, and the shop bulges with treasures to be discovered. If you are an antique and second-hand décor lover like I am, walking through the back room feels like entering Narnia, as you wind your way through vintage and retro wardrobes, mirrored dressers, and interestingly carved cupboard doors.

The Upcycled Barn has that timeless old-world shoppe essence you could imagine in a cobblestoned country town, a place that feels wholesome, warm and a little bit magical. And it’s not just down to what is materialistically in the shop, but the people who run it.

‘The Upcycled Barn is a happy place where we play music, sing, converse and make friends with all our customers. We have lots and lots of customers that just come in to stay a while and say hello.’

When I rang Tracy, the owner, feeling a little nervous about asking her to feature on my blog, her salt-of-the-earth manner and enthusiastic openness to my request instantly put me at ease and raised my confidence. She sent me her answers in a stream of consciousness that is indicative of her effervescent personality, and I have arranged these in the interview below for you. Within her answers is not only the story of Upcycled Barn but also some wisdom from a creative small business owner, who survived through the Covid pandemic, that may uplift others.

When did The Upcycled Barn open? If it's not too personal, how long did it take for your business to become profitable?

The Upcycled Barn opened from an empty building in February 2017. The Upcycled Barn I opened with stock I had and absolutely no debt, everything purchased for the business is paid for in full and up front, there has never been any owing debt on the business, and because of this we quickly expanded to a huge space of 900 sq metres bursting with fabulous vintage antique mid-century Art Deco lovelies. This is the only way to start a business, in my opinion. It’s a tough industry and having to pay huge rents and debt etc., you simply cannot make a lot of profit.

We have made a good profit from day one and it’s just got better every year because of this. Although, I will never be rich because I owe no one anything and that is my focus. It’s a family business that helps school our children and provide after school activities and we live comfortably. 

How and when did you become interested in upcycling furniture? What does sustainability mean to you, both literally and personally?

I have upcycled and loved antiques for all my adult life and I’m 55 now so a very long time. There’s always a use for good solid wood and nothing is unsalvageable. I try my best to work with my local demographic and am very conscious of the cost of living these days so want everyone to be able to enjoy nice things.

My focus is on keeping costs down and providing excellent quality items that will last the distance. I despise this Ikea plastic, laminate, throw-away cheap furniture. I try my utmost to keep new products slightly under retail and this has been the reason we have survived Covid and tough times with small business; we are also very happy to negotiate prices. My business focuses on happiness, and we welcome family-orientated customer service.

Do you run workshops and if so, what kind and where can people find out about them?

I don’t run workshops simply because there are many people out there that do. I’m very happy to give and show customers what they can do and how they can do it and offer guidance and help. I also am happy to let people know where workshops are happening, also sharing many, many online sites for tutorials.

‘Not doing workshops allows me to be more customer focused and work in the business, and most of my new upcycling customers are happy to go away with the required products and come back in a week later saying oh that was so easy. This makes me happy.’

Are there some words of encouragement that you could give to other local creatives who are starting out?

One thing I always say to Creatives is love what you do. Do it because it makes you happy, don’t expect to get paid an hourly rate for your hard work, and don’t add that to your selling price as then your product is far too expensive. And remember you are competing with Kmart; you need to showcase your love of craft and if you make a small profit then well done. There is absolutely no room for greed these days.

Are you a Rockingham local? If not, when, and why, did you move?

I live in Port Kennedy and have grown up in the area with my dear husband and six wonderful children, all of whom help in the business when necessary. Running your own business gives you the flexibility to focus on your family and be able to still put them first. 

What's your favourite, local day out?

We love every inch of Kennedy Bay/ Long Point beach and Rockingham foreshore. We have the best beaches in Australia. We are a very blessed state.