Fine Things Reclaimed debuts in downtown Newton

Making something old new again is the idea behind Fine Things Reclaimed, a new shop open at 205 First Ave. W.

Owners Julia Prendergast and Cindy Sell are mixing modern and classic styles with industrial or even glam-chic to give designs that will compliment anyone’s lifestyles or interests.

“It is all about making things usable again. That’s what people are really interested in doing,” Sell said. “It’s about preservation and keeping the older things alive and putting new life in them.”

The idea for a shop came when Prendergast began tearing down an old barn on her property. With a surplus of barn wood, she and Sell put their husbands to work, which ended up being the beginning of Fine Things Reclaimed.

“We had all of this barn wood, and we were wondering what to do with all of it. Our husbands thought they could probably make some cool things out of it,” Prendergast said. “They started working in the shop making some really cool stuff but then we were thinking, what are we going to do with it all? I thought, you know what, this might be a good time to give this a shot. So we said what the heck, let’s try it.”

Two short months later and with an opening in the building they own in downtown Newton, the couples decided to give it a go. Most pieces in the shop are one-of-a-kind, built by hand and accessorized by the business partners and friends.

Prendergast and Sell said they draw inspiration from what they see in stores, on television and at markets they attend in the central U.S.

“It’s such a big trend right now. I love HGTV Fixer Uppers. So a lot of the stuff we see people loving online, we thought we could create some things like that and even knew, different items,” Sell said.

Out of all of their creations, Prendergast said the planter boxes take top billing as a favorite in the store.

“The thing that we love the most are the planter boxes. It is spring time and every loves to have that rustic look out on their front porch or somewhere at their house,” Prendergast said. “Those are kind of where we started were the planter boxes. The guys made all kinds of different ones. They painted some, they made some out of barn wood and some out of fence wood.”

Also available are 3D art frames made out of barn wood. The frames hold a flower bouquet that can be changed out depending on the season or style of the room.

“It’s something different, it’s so cute,” Prendergast said.

For now, the shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays with potential Thursday and Friday hours to come. An open house for the new business is planned for March 5 with goodies available and new merchandise ready for viewing.

The shop also has a Facebook page and website, www.finethingsreclaimed.com, that will be updated frequently with new pieces available.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at

641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or

jpierson@newtondailynews.com