A woman who spotted a valuable furniture set in a charity shop managed to resell it for $9,000 (£6,686) within 24 hours after restoring it. Erin, a furniture refinisher, found an iconic Broyhill Brasilia set priced at just $115 (£85) and recognized its potential despite a coat of paint.
Discovery and Initial Reaction
Erin, who strips paint and refinishes furniture, was out shopping when she came across the set. She posted a video on TikTok showing her shock, covering her mouth in disbelief. In the comments, one viewer seethed: "That's Broyhill Brasilia, and SHAME on whoever painted that!" Others said they "gasped" when she revealed the find.
Broyhill Brasilia is a highly collectible line of mid-century modern furniture introduced in 1962 by the Broyhill Furniture Company. Inspired by the modernist architecture of Brasília, Brazil's capital, the collection is famous for its cathedral-shaped parabolic arches and sculpted walnut wood, commanding high prices.
Restoration Process
Erin documented the restoration in a follow-up video. She removed decorative trims that were not original and was pleased to find the original hardware, which can sell for over £100 per piece. Stripping off the paint, she said: "Imagine how shocked I was to find that these pieces were pristine underneath all of the paint." She noted that stripping paint "never gets old," especially uncovering "beautiful walnut" beneath a duck egg blue coat.
She sanded by hand because the arches have "notoriously thin veneer." Then she applied stain to replicate the original finish, followed by a sanding sealer before attaching it to the dresser. The transformation was dramatic, with some viewers preferring the restored look while others liked the painted version.
Sale and Profit
Erin told Newsweek she sold the set for $9,000 (£6,686) in less than 24 hours on Facebook Marketplace. She estimated the restoration took 50 to 60 hours. "I didn’t count the hours, but I think it’s safe to say this took around 50 to 60 hours to thoroughly restore," she said.
One follower urged her to keep it, writing: "Definitely prefer the after and I would 100 per cent keep them, that's a once in a lifetime find." Another added: "I gasped so loudly when you stripped the paint. WHO WOULD PAINT THAT??? Absolutely stunning. Great restoration job!"
