A woman named Erin purchased a furniture set from a charity shop for just $115 (£85) and later sold it for $9,000 (£6,686) after restoration, according to a report by Newsweek.
Discovery of the Hidden Gem
Erin spotted the furniture at a charity shop and immediately recognized it as an "iconic Broyhill Brasilia set," which she knew could be worth "thousands." The set had been painted over, but Erin saw its potential.
She shared her disbelief on TikTok, where her hand flew to her mouth in shock. One commenter fumed: "That's Broyhill Brasilia, and SHAME on whoever painted that!" Others admitted they "gasped" when she revealed the haul.
About Broyhill Brasilia
Broyhill Brasilia is a highly sought-after line of mid-century modern furniture launched in 1962 by the Broyhill Furniture Company. Inspired by the modernist architecture of Brasília, Brazil's capital, the collection is known for its distinctive cathedral-shaped, parabolic arches and sculpted walnut wood. Pieces often fetch high prices.
Restoration Process
Erin documented the restoration on TikTok. She removed decorative trims not part of the original design and was delighted to find the original hardware intact, as each piece can cost upwards of £100. As she stripped the paint, she said: "Imagine how shocked I was to find that these pieces were pristine underneath all of the paint." She noted that peeling back paint "never gets old," especially uncovering "beautiful walnut" beneath the duck egg blue.
She sanded the piece by hand because the "arches on these pieces are notoriously thin veneer." Then she added color with stain to "replicate the original finish" as closely as possible. After the stain dried, she applied a sanding sealer, built up a base, and fixed it to the dresser.
Sale and Profit
Erin told Newsweek: "I didn't count the hours, but I think it's safe to say this took around 50 to 60 hours to thoroughly restore. I sold it for $9,000 (£6,686) in less than 24 hours on Facebook Marketplace."
