Lehi Business
Vintage market on AF Main gives new life to old ‘junk’
Renewed Vintage Market on American Fork Main has been in its current location for just over two years, but its story started a decade ago. Amy Rowbury, owner of Renewed, began painting thrifted furniture as a way to make her home look beautiful on a budget.
“We had just moved to Utah from Indiana, and money was tight, so learning how to repaint furniture was a huge deal for me. We had gotten rid of a lot of stuff just because of the cost of moving, so when we got here, we would go to D.I. and find whatever we needed, and it looked cheap. So I thought I would try painting the furniture, and I did,” said Rowbury.
As the hobby began growing on her, she realized she wanted to help other people accomplish the same thing, thus RenewedVintage Market was born.
Well, not quite. She first became a retailer for her favorite furniture paint brand, Rethunk Junk. When she realized nobody in the area was selling it, she rented a booth at Quilted Bear and started selling the paint as she continued restoring furniture in her free time. Six years ago, she transitioned from a booth rental to running her own shop, originally known as Renew & Re-Do Vintage Market, where she sold painted furniture and other products.
“I got my own shop about six years ago, and it’s just grown from that. It’s been really fun to give things new life,” said Rowbury.
When a space on American Fork Main became available two years ago, she took the opportunity and has been there ever since. The shop is decked out in whimsy and vintage vibes, complete with oldies music and vintage decor on every wall.
Last year, the neighboring shop moved out of state, so she was met with another opportunity. She took the chance to expand and invite in vendors to sell their own handmade and vintage goods. The 60 local vendors at Renewed carry everything from homemade treats and crochet goods to baby clothes and vintage Pyrex-inspired embroidered tea towels.
At the time of the expansion, Rowbury decided it was also time for a rebrand that better encompassed the shop’s purpose.
“I started out with the name Renew and Re-Do because it was focused on furniture, so when we did a logo and branding, it was just furniture and primary colors, very focused on paint. The longer we’ve gone on and the more we’ve kind of evolved into a market, I thought we really need to change things a bit because our name doesn’t reflect who we are anymore. We had added ‘Vintage Market’ to the name as we moved over here and haveadded a lot of vintage. I wanted to keep the name really close, so I just shortened it to Renewed,” she said.
With giving new life to old things being the mission behind the business, Rowbury also wanted the rebrand to help communicate that. The logo was changed to include a botanical element to symbolize growth and new life.
“I feel like we’re giving things new life, whether it’s furniture or vintage stuff. We’re saving it from the landfills, saving it from the dump, so I really liked incorporating that symbol of life because that’s what we’re all about,” she added.
A big part of Rowbury’s business is holding classes. She originally introduced classes in her space to teach people how to give new life to thrifted furniture, and she since has brought in all kinds of craft classes, including jewelry making, floral arrangement, painting and more.
“We’re trying to have a place for the community to have something fun to do, whether it’s just strolling around the shop or coming to classes and learning something new,” said Rowbury.
She has a local maker come in a few times each month to lead a craft workshop open to the public. Class admission is generally $30-70 and includes most, if not all, materials needed to complete the craft.
The next class at Renewed is a “Paint Your Date” night, where people can participate in the viral trend of painting their partner or friend and see what they come up with. This class costs $30 for two people and will include materials, as well as a soda bar and treats.
To sign up for Renewed Vintage Market’s classes and events, or to apply to be a vendor, visit renewmyfurniture.com.
