Meet Dana Manning | Furniture Restyler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dana Manning and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dana, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Americans throw out 12 million tons of furniture every year. That blows my mind. And I love that my job helps to prevent a little bit of that. Every time a client chooses to restyle–refinish or paint–an existing piece of furniture instead of buying new and discarding their used furniture, I help to keep trash out of landfills.

Additionally, many of the pieces I restyle are family pieces that have been passed down to a new generation. The old look doesn’t really work in its new home. Instead of hiding the piece away, we can restyle it and give it new life. As the restyled piece lives in a new space, it melds old memories and family stories with new ones. I love being a part of prolonging family memories.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I restyle furniture, which means I refinish and paint furniture for clients. I started this during the pandemic and had no artistic training. Everything I know I’ve learned from videos, books, blogs, and trial and error.

I’ve always been a perfectionist and trying things without having a good idea of how it will turn out is not easy for me. But this job has taught me that almost everything is “figure-out-able”. I may not know how I’m going to make the outcome I have in my mind happen, but I can definitely get there.

The thing that I’m most proud of when it comes to my business is that I can take a client’s vision for how they want their furniture to look and deliver a custom restyled product that leaves them saying “I had no idea it could look this good!”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In the Fulshear/Katy area:

Stop for coffee and a friend meet up at Humble Grounds Fulshear–don’t miss the Whipped Brown Sugar Espresso and a Bacon Breakfast Taco!

Visit the Fulshear Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning to discover local bakers, makers, and crafters. Two of my favorite booths are Mrs. Richardson’s Kitchen for delicious sourdough bread and other baked products, and Choco Gladys for handmade premium chocolate bars.

Grab lunch or dinner at Local Table. My go-to is the Lemon Pasta. I love the blend of tangy and spicy!

Come worship on Sunday mornings at Thrive Church. Our church community has become like family.

Check out Sonoma Wine Bar-Katy. My husband and I like to go on Thursday evenings when they have special tasting flights. Enjoy a board or a flatbread (my favorite is the Sonoma flatbread) with your wine. The staff is amazing and always knows exactly what we’ll love.

If we ventured into Houston, I’d take a guest to shop at my favorite consignment stores–Blue Bird Circle, Charity Guild of Catholic Women, and The Guild Shop. They have awesome furniture and home goods, vintage clothing and jewelry, and they support great organizations.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my family. They have supported me behind the scenes in so many ways. From furniture movers to administration, they’ve done it all.

Website: https://www.thedandeliontree.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedandeliontreedesigns/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDandelionTree

Image Credits
Personal photo credit: Little Fig Photography