By Myron Kukla | The Grand Rapids Press
December 20, 2009, 1:00AM
A new look: Susan Steiden-Langejans, right, and Sue Vanderveen complete restoration of an old chair in the Found store workshop.
HOLLAND — Gracie the cat knows her place inside Found, an eclectic furniture and home furnishings store, at 203 E. Eighth St.
Gracie sleeps in a 1950s-era suitcase converted with colorful padding and pillows into her bed by store co-owner Susan Steiden-Langejans.
“We find new uses for things that people maybe don’t want anymore because they are dated,” said Steiden-Langejans, who owns the 2,000-square-foot store and workshop.
The store’s sole proprietor, she partners with sister-in-law Sue Vanderveen to update and upholster furniture. Also, Sherri Burmeister, creates new lighting designs for old lamps.
Unlike antiques that may be repaired or resold in the same condition, Found takes couches, chairs, hutches and tables and reinvents them with new upholstery, paint and pillows.
We find things that have a retro feel and repurpose them into a new life with a new face.
“Pretty well everything we sell has been repurposed,” said Steiden-Langejans, who previously owned Roxy’s Vintage clothing on College Avenue.
Steiden-Langejans and Vanderveen like to work with furniture from the 1940s, '50s and ’60s because the items are often built with hardwoods for durability and features dovetailed joints on drawers.
Steiden-Langejans has a bachelor’s degree from University of Cincinnati School of Design, Art and Architecture.
She is the color and repainting specialist in the shop, while Vanderveen focuses on fabrics, creating pillows and furniture upholstery using vintage fabrics found at estate sales.
An outside firm does the store’s heavy upholstery sewing.
“A lot of what we do is custom work on furniture brought to us by customers. We talk with them about the ideas we have and decide on a design that will fit their homes,” said Vanderveen, who has a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Kendall College of Art and Design.
Recently, artist Lindsey Scott opened a shop called Vagabond within Found that offers gifts and home decor with a retro flair.
Found’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On Thursday, the store is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.