Design Guide Online Editorial

REVELation Décor couldn’t be a more fitting name for this unique, cutting-edge showroom, which got its start in the heart of the New Braunfels Downtown Design District. Not only are you exposed to an entirely new mindset when it comes to furniture, but it definitely will cause you to revel in the discovery of these unique, custom painted pieces and the couple behind it all.

This is the art of furniture at its best.

A few years prior to opening up REVELation Décor, Allison and Ben Guenther sourced places for vintage piece from places like trash heaps, Goodwill and estate sales. For them, being on a tight budget didn’t mean their home couldn’t be eclectic and look nice. They’d reimagine them, paint them, and then do something funky with them. Through the years “oohs” and “ahhs” would often pour in from the people who would come into their home, telling them that they really had something going with these pieces.

“It was a dream of mine to have my own shop,” she said.

Something that is near and dear to their hearts is sourcing vintage and antique pieces from their local economy, not overseas or across the nation.

People who walked into their shop would often comment on how the furniture has a lacquered appearance. Lacquer is not in the equation at all, Allison assures. Lacquer is a type of paint, not a look. Their pieces have anywhere from six to seven coats of paint, including industrial grade paint, tinted primer and a few coats of clear protector. The clear protector is what gives the piece a shiny, lacquer effect. All the paint is sprayed on. They use the best paint out there and not just anyone can get his or her hands on it, she said. They’re not just slapping paint on furniture.

“We treat this furniture pretty much like you’d treat an automobile,” said Allison. “It’s very similar to the process of fixing a car after a car accident.”

They take these furniture pieces and put a modern twist on them with stripes, leopard prints, zebra prints, polka dots, chevron pattern – to name a few.

“We’re selling art furniture, not just painted furniture,” she said.

But REVELation Décor is not the only “revelation” this husband and wife team has had. They are now leaving the design district to take their show on the road and are embarking on an entirely new dream. They are selling everything and will be traveling to various shows around the state for the next year or two to see what transpires. We wish them the best of luck.

Photos courtesy of REVELation Décor

• Rachel Duke's blog

Related terms: Art, Designers, Furniture

by: Rachel Duke