Artified Junk Rescue began in 2016 by owner Stephanie Austin of Warrenton, Virginia. Stephanie has always had an appreciation for preserving ordinary items of the past. In addition, she sees value in the sturdier building techniques used throughout history. For Stephanie, starting her business, Artified Junk Rescue, has allowed her to combine her artistic skills with her passion for repurposing and up-cycling in a meaningful way.
The business has since expanded into working with live edge wood and epoxy resin. In 2020, she built a wood burning tool called fractal burning which burns designs into wood which she fills with epoxy resin. Stephanie infuses art into junk, antiques, vintage, and reclaimed wood. Rescuing ordinary, everyday items and transforming them into something extraordinary is what drives her.
Stephanie is inspired by hard working small businesses, the handmade, and the creative people behind them. She is inspired by the old, familiar, non mass manufactured items of the past and the detail and care that went into making them. She is inspired by the textured, non symmetrical, naturally disfigured shape of wood – the “misfit” wood that others may pass over. She appreciates the challenge of figuring out how to repurpose and up-cycle them.
Because of her appreciation for small business, most of her raw materials are purchased from a small business, and so she loves Celebrate Local’s mission of encouraging patrons to enjoy our locally-owned businesses for their needs and recreation in order to help our communities grow and prosper.
For more information visit www.artifiedjunkrescue.com
