330 Homes Spring 2021

s p a c e l i f t | f r e s h d e s i g n | o p e n a i r

by VINCE GUERRIERI photos by J.T. HICKS and JESSICA SKINNER

TURN STYLE JBurgess Designs features artistic furniture made from discarded objects.

W hen Jessica grandfather in Florida as a child, she was fascinated by the way he’d use pallets from nearby factories, turning them into doghouses, His work inspired her to learn furniture-making. “I figure if it was in my granddad, it’s got to be in me somewhere,” says the now 34-year-old. As a newlywed in 2007, Skinner got a lot of hand-me-down furniture. She redid the furniture, reupholstering it for a more cohesive look, “so my house would look like a home,” she says. She’s since expanded, with JBurgess Designs — named after her grand father — which moved into Summit Artspace in Akron in July 2017. It features reclaimed furniture and the occa sional custom piece, as well as decorative items. She works at the space weekly and plans to offer virtual classes on uphol stering, woodworking and the use of power tools. Here, she tells us the backstory behind some of her pieces. Skinner visited her fencing and barns, among other things.

UPHO L S T E R E D CHA I R S , $399 - $599 Skinner says she finds chairs that may be in disrepair but have “good bones” and reupholsters them in a variety of fabrics, often emphasizing linear patterns. “It encourages me to be mindful in how I fill my own space— mentally and physically,” she says.

F L OOR POU F S , $ 7 9 Using leftover fabric, she crafts large eclectic pillows. The finished products prompt Skinner to contemplate what constitutes restfulness. How to use: The poufs are popular for meditation, she says.

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