Repurposing a Treasure

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: September 2024

Throughout our 22 years of publication, this magazine’s been chronicling the treasures and precious pieces of furniture that are carefully placed throughout Vivianne Metzger Antiques’ stunning showroom and storage barn set alongside Cashiers Lake.

We’ve shown how Vivianne’s daughter and son-in-law, Cherie and Bill Tibbetts, spend their winter months traipsing all over England and other areas to find unique, interesting, and historically significant pieces to bring to shoppers in the Cashiers-Highlands area. And, for the past 27 years, the family-run business has been unloading containers of treasures every May so that the shop can be restocked for a new season.

“It starts with a trip to England, where Bill and I spend four weeks in beautiful English villages choosing, wrapping, boxing, and packing goods into an SUV we drive around the countryside, usually over 1,000 miles,” said Cherie Tibbetts, daughter of Vivianne Metzger. “A good day means buying 50 items of china, silver, cutlery, paintings, needlework, candlesticks, and much more.”

But there’s one facet of the business that we haven’t mentioned over our decades of coverage, one that’s become increasingly important in the field of interior design – Vivianne Metzger Antiques has become a Plateau specialist in the upgrading and repurposing of antiques.

With a bit of imagination, repurposed furniture or antiques can be used to complement an exciting interior design scheme or to draw new attention to a cherished piece.

“Instead of throwing it out, repurposing furniture allows us to both preserve memories and create something new,” says Cherie. “One of our dealers takes tired English bamboo furniture or tired pine/mahogany chests and gives them a new life by painting & decoupaging them with hand cut images.

“And Bill takes old table legs he finds and makes beautiful lamps that are one of a kind.”

Old furniture can be used to create various new and innovative items. With some creativity, old furniture can be repurposed into shelves, tables, benches, planters, and headboards or chairs. The possibilities are endless!

“Blending the old with the new in designing a home today is what you’ll find the successful designers doing,” says Cherie. “We love helping our design partners and customers find that special antique piece to warm up a room, or ‘rediscover’ a tired piece that assumes a new life and new place in the home.

Bill and Cherie Tibbetts

“It’s the upscaling of antiques – giving them new life!”

Vivianne Metzger Antiques is located at 31 Canoe Point in Cashiers off Valley Road and are open Tuesday–Saturday from 10:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. For more information call (828) 743-0642.