Article & Photography: Matt Bigwood
Fifis Fancy Furniture, run by Fifi Parsons, is a much-loved business on Wotton-under-Edge High Street.
“Were a recycling, upcycling shop essentially; we buy in furniture and then we revamp it and try to keep it out of landfill, and we also sell antiques, objects dart and artwork,†explained Fifi.
Not only does she sell upcycled furniture, Fifi also helps customers with their own projects: “We have a YouTube channel and every Friday morning around 9am we do a live broadcast – we walk around the shop, we show people what’s new in, we do paint demonstrations and we have a very lively following. We have lovely regulars who tune in with their cup of coffee to see what we’re up to this week.â€
Fifi is a stockist of Frenchic paint, a specialist product used in upcycling that is only available from independent retailers: “Frenchic is an amazing chalk paint we use for all our transformations. For example, if youre bored of your kitchen you can transform it with the Lazy Range or the Alfresco paints we sell suit the task perfectly, and the range of colours is superb, so you can transform your dull and tired kitchen for a fraction of the price of a new one.â€
The shop has been a feature of the town for more than seven years: “We came to Wotton-under-Edge almost by accident – we just found ourselves here, and liked it so much that we’re still here, seven and a half years later.
“This is actually our third shop – we started off at the bottom of the High Street opposite The Falcon and we were there for a year and that got too small, so we moved halfway up the High Street to a beautiful 16th century building and were there for two years, but then that got too small. We’ve moved now to much bigger premises and guess what? That’s too small, too!
“We are fortunate that the pavement provides a space to get a lot of the outside stuff outside, so the bistro sets, the garden furniture, pots, and when it’s a dry day, we get bits of nice furniture out there as well, so it creates something of interest for the High Street.
“We’re right on the Cotswold Way so we get tourists stopping in to see what they cant live without. They have no clue they couldnt live without a particular candelabra and then of course they succumb!â€
To watch Fifis videos visit her channel at Fifi’s Fancy Furniture – YouTube or visit her website, www.fifisfancyfurniture.co.uk
http://www.fifisfancyfurniture.co.uk/
Twitter @Fifisfancyfurni
Instagram @Fifisfancyfurniture