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Something old, something new
NeedfulThingsByUs is in the business of transformation |
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1222 S. Second St.
Raton, NM 87740
(505) 445-7093
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The first thing you notice upon entering NeedfulThingsByUs is the sheer variety of lovely home furnishings, antiques,
glassware, gifts and other items people need and use every day. What you don't notice - at least right off - is
the sheer amount of skill, dedication and love that has gone into most of these items.
By all accounts, NeedfulThingsByUs is a unique shop that produces extraordinary things, from the refinishing and
upholstery of your special furniture to the rejuvenating of your special keepsakes. Owners Chuck and JoHanna Hill
offer 60 years' experience between them to help their customers put more life into the things they treasure.
Refinishing the easy way
Chuck is a masterful furniture refinisher, an art that has helped NeedfulThingsByUs to grow in popularity not just
in its local Raton market but throughout the country. Chuck believes that older furniture pieces are full of quality
and character just waiting for the touch of an artist to make them into needful things again.
Nothing here is stripped the old way, the hard way. It's all done in the state-of-the-art STRIP-O-LATOR that saves
everyone time and produces startling results.
Without a doubt one of the biggest apprehensions most people have when bringing their furniture to somebody to
have it stripped and refinished is the possible damage the process can do. Chuck has completely alleviated that
worry with the STRIP-O-LATOR, a technological breakthrough in furniture stripping that gently, with a fine mist
spray and in an enclosed environment, strips pieces safely back to their original material. There's no bleaching
of wood or raising of its grain. The STRIP-O-LATOR will not ruin glue or veneer. It's not a dipping vat or an open
flow-over system.
"Bring me your old, worn-out, torn-up, beat-up, abused pieces," Chuck says. "We help make grandma's
antiques where the kids can enjoy them for another generation."
"We're finding more and more people would rather keep the exceptional pieces they have which have gotten a
little rundown due to age than buy new, cheaper items," says Chuck, whose finished products actually look
better than new. "Our customers have a passion for things that were built when things were built right. And
so do we."
All things material
JoHanna is an expert upholsterer and seamstress, using her talents to transform the things her customers need into
to things they really enjoy living with. Whether its furniture or clothing, JoHanna agrees with Chuck that more
and more people want to keep on enjoying the things they already have - they just want them to look nice again.
"Upholstery is exactly like a facelift for furniture," says JoHanna, who works with the shop's materials
- some of which dates back to the 1970s - or materials customers bring her. "I listen to what people say about
the things they bring in and find out the look they're after. When they see their piece after I'm finished, they
feel like they're getting a brand new piece to start all over again with."
She adds: "It's the same with all the items we work with and the services we perform. People bought what they
bought because it was what they wanted or needed. Just because something is starting to wear out is no reason to
have to go out and buy what you don't really want. We fix and re-new things that people need."
JoHanna also performs numerous alterations on everything from tuxedos to Levis and from fancy gowns to basic shorts.
They don't make 'em like they used to
Throughout NeedfulThingsByUs, you'll see a wide variety of antique pieces and hard-to-find items that people have
needed for years and years. Many of the pieces were originally made in the 1800s, and those in disrepair have been
treated to the magic that Chuck and JoHanna work in the shop every day.
"There's just something about older pieces, particularly when they've been restored to their original beauty
and usefulness," JoHanna says. "A little bit of love and attention to a special piece spells the difference
between a piece of junk and a work of art."
And that's one of the many things that separate NeedfulThingsByUs from the typical "second-hand" shop:
Both Chuck and JoHanna are sticklers for quality and beauty. Usefulness is the name of the game - because what
good is anything if it can't actually be used?
"We want our customers to have the satisfaction of taking home something that will become a part of their
lives - either again or for the first time," says Chuck. "We named our business to reflect the fact that
we fix and repair and finish and sell things that people really want in their lives, things that people need."
NeedfulThingsByUs is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (505) 445-7093 for more information.
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