‘Fix it up’ at Restore and Rework
Micaiah Gill, owner of Restore and Rework (2572 San Carlos Avenue) in Castro Valley.
How many of us own a sentimental-favorite table or bureau that has seen better days? Maybe it has been in the family for years or you picked it up curbside, thinking you would “fix it up.” Micaiah Gill, owner of Restore and Rework (2572 San Carlos Avenue) in Castro Valley should be your next stop. She works miracles with furniture repairing, refinishing, restoring, and repurposing household treasures. Micaiah also has a shop chock-full of inventory for the home and garden—trunks, book cases, candelabras, and a huge selection of frames, all waiting for to be personalized.
A Castro Valley native, Micaiah graduated from CV Elementary, Canyon and CVHS (’03). A member of the Decca Club at the high school, she got her first after-school office job at RAS Management, responding to an interview suggested by the advisor. That job morphed into a 13 year career in insurance. Six years ago she happened to see a Facebook posting of Restore and Rework for sale. It only took her a few weeks to add entrepreneur to her resume. For the next three years she maintained her insurance job and ran the new business. When she added home schooling to her responsibilities, something had to give and it was insurance. In March, 2020, she leased the adjoining space and doubled her square footage. Today, she home schools her 13 year-old son in the mornings and works at the shop afternoons and by appointment.
Covid changed the way Micaiah did business and her business grew by 300%. She lives only five minutes from the shop, so she was able to meet customers one at a time, never having to shutter the business. As people quarantined, they often tackled unfinished home projects and her customers multiplied. Some customers sought out direction from Micaiah on how to “do-it-yourself,” while many others were glad to turn over the whole project to her. In addition, Restore and Rework became the only local distributor of Dixie Belle Paint, a sought-after designer chalk and clay-based paint. Micaiah has a complete inventory of these specialized products and manages a robust shipping business. She also offers custom metal work crafted by her husband, Darren Gill.
It is fun to talk to Micaiah about past jobs. She calls it “reimagining” as she turns table legs into candle sticks, headboards into benches and bureaus into bars. “I love to hear the stories of my customer’s heirlooms. We talk about what they envision and together we come up with a plan.” Whether you are looking for a simple new coat of paint or a radical makeover, Restore and Rework has the answer. Tuesday-Friday 1-4; Saturday 11-2 or call for an appointment (510-999-0517)