Mixing new with old: Modern Vintage Home puts new spin on old furniture and more

CLARKS SUMMIT – Jennifer Davis has the vision to see beauty in old furniture. She gives vintage pieces a more contemporary appearance by adding new elements to them.

“You get the quality of vintage furniture with a new look,” she said. “You give it new life.”

Jennifer has a studio located on North State Street. It’s called Modern Vintage Home. Customers can bring in their old furniture, and Jennifer will restore the pieces based on the customer’s preferences. She likes the concept of turning something “drabby” into something beautiful since most pieces she receives from customers are family heirlooms.

“You’re making someone really happy,” she said.

Modern Vintage Home also has a gift shop mostly focused on home decor.

A number of items are placed on restored cabinets that are for sale as well. Items include decorative pillows, charcuterie boards, jewelry, handmade pottery and glassware.

Just in time for Christmas, the store has interior holiday decorations such as stockings, holiday florals, Christmas-themed wall art and plush gnomes. Food items include coffee, teas, soups and beer breads. There are also textiles such as carpets, table runners and tea towels. Gift ideas for men are men’s jewelry and specialty shaving brushes.

The items are changed by each season.

Before COVID, Jennifer purchased the building initially with the intention of primarily working on custom-finish furniture. During the spring of 2022 when COVID lifted, she realized that people were getting used to buying things from home and having them delivered to the door instead of leaving their houses.

“They lost sight of what it was like to go back in the downtowns and shop and feel and have a retail experience,” she said.

Jennifer recalls her childhood when she would go shopping at family-owned small businesses with her mother. She wanted to venture into the home decor and gifts business in order to give reason to come back not just to look for furniture but also buy gifts for friends and families.

During the end of April, home decor and gifts were added to the building, which was officially launched as Modern Vintage Home. A lot of her customers have been receptive to the idea of building the downtown again and supporting local small businesses.

“I think people are welcoming getting back into the downtown and having the shopping experience again,” she said.

The renovations of furniture are all complete by Jennifer in her workshop in the store. She is able to customize unfinished pieces by the customer’s choice of color or style. She posts before and after photos on Facebook to showcase the change of the furniture.

Jennifer is no stranger to retail.

In fact, she has 30 years of experience. Her first job out of college was assistant manager at the home/gift department at Bloomingdale’s in New York City. She also worked in budgeting and payroll at Lord & Taylor for 23 years. During COVID, her department at Lord & Taylor was eliminated.

“It gave me the inspiration to try something new and dive in and open my own business,” she said.

Jennifer is using all of her experiences in retail to cultivate her new venture. She enjoys meeting new people and working with them. She loves the flexibility of her schedule to be with family. She has a husband named, Gary, and three children – Celia, Clayton and Colin.

What she also likes about her job is the freedom to make her own choices.

“It’s a great feeling to use all my experiences I had over the years and to do things in a way I enjoy,” she said.