To many, an old piece of furniture may seem of little value beyond its practicality. But to Rivers Dupree, owner of Rescued Revisions in the Denham Springs Antique Village, a salvaged dresser or nightstand is an opportunity to restore a piece to its original beauty.

Since the opening of Rescued Revisions in 2017 just months after his high school graduation, Dupree has dedicated his time to restoring neglected items and traveling across the South to flea markets, estate sales and auctions to find them. To learn more about his process, we reached out to Dupree and chatted about breathing fresh life into otherwise forgotten pieces.

1. What inspired you to open Rescued Revisions?

As a child, one of my mom’s good friends loved antique shopping. I would tag along with her to the Antique Village from time to time. After several trips, I developed a great interest in antique restoration and then made it my mission to find old, but cool, items and restore them. This eventually led to me learning how to paint furniture, which allowed me to not only express my creativity but also earn an income as well. Even during high school, I was renting booths in several different shops to sell my merchandise. When high school came to an end and it was time to really consider options for my future, because I loved antique restoration so much, I decided to go out on my own and open Rescued Revisions.

2. What was it like starting your own business at a young age?

First off, let me just say that I was definitely presented with many challenges along the way! Having just graduated from high school three months prior, I had no clue how to start a business or run one for that matter. But when you have a passion for something, you kind of just do what you have to do to make it work. Since I rented booths in other stores during high school in the Antique Village, I developed many connections along the way. Many of these people, who I now consider to be my little adopted family, have guided me and supported me through every step of my journey.

3. What’s one thing you want people to know about Rescued Revisions they might not be aware of?

Back in November of 2019, I moved my little store into a much larger building just down the street on the opposite side of the road! We are now located at 123 N. Range Avenue in the Denham Springs Antique Village. Because people haven’t gotten out as much lately, many still haven’t been to the new location. The store still offers my selection just like the old location, but with the amount of space the new building provided, I was able to add on 10 vendors who offer a variety of goods.

4. What’s a typical day like for you and your team?

Each and every day is different for me. However, you can typically find me in the warehouse working on inventory, out on the road picking, or at the shop staging our inventory. You can often find my vendors doing the same thing!

5. What’s your favorite thing about Rescued Revisions?

My absolute favorite part of the business is finding old items that are destined for the dump, turning them into something special, and the styling them to show someone what the items could look like in their home.

6. What sets Rescued Revisions apart?

I have a great selection of vintage and antique décor that is very unique. While I do mix in a few new items such as lamps or vases, the vast majority–around 95%–of the items I carry are antique.

7. When a customer comes into the store, what can they expect to see?

When walking into my store, you can expect to see a curated collection of furniture, home décor and antiques. My style often incorporates primitive finds with rustic painted furniture, as well as some modern elements. The large front section of the store houses all of my items, and the back section is divided and rented out to my 10 dealers who have their own styles that blend well with mine. Ultimately, Rescued Revisions has items to fit many different styles.

8. What kind of work goes into finding and fixing up items for the store?

Most of the furniture I purchase will typically need minor repairs, cleaning and painting. Occasionally, I will purchase a piece and completely convert it into something new that is more useful in a modern home. All of the rustic home décor throughout the store is normally dusty and dirty when I find it, so it gets a good bubble bath and scrub before it can be placed on the sales floor.

9. What kinds of finds are your and your customers’ favorites?

My personal favorites are the primitive and industrial pieces that you would not typically think to use in a home, like old workbenches, store counters and bolt bins.

10. What are your aspirations for Rescued Revisions in the future?

New opportunities are constantly arising. I am a big dreamer and come up with new ideas practically every day, so there is no telling exactly what is next!