Recycle, restore and rejuvenate; that's what it's all about for two local blokes and their new business venture.
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The Crafty Wombats is the brainchild of Kevin Parker and Mitch Gibbons who sought a lifestyle change after their seven-day hustle working in Sydney's car industry.
Their moves to Mudgee brought a new lease of life, something the mates of 14 years hope to repay by pairing their creative flare and love of upcycling with reducing the region's landfill.
"Both living in Sydney, you see council clean ups constantly around the area and the amount of stuff that is just thrown out that shouldn't be going in the bin. It's not a sustainable way to live," Kevin said.
"We were culprits, it's a wasteful society, so if we can make a living off reducing the amount of things that go into landfill, it gives us purpose," Mitch said.
"We would spend good money on things ourselves that have been repurposed and recycled, we have always had a love for it but it's great to now be a part of it."
After months of preparations behind the scenes, the duo launched their online platform a week ago and said the response so far from fellow Mudgee region residents has been warming.
"Everyone has got behind us and we've only just started. There's obviously a market for it and that came apparent after being live for a couple of days. We've also already had some locals give us some items they were going to throw away," Mitch said.
The business name - The Crafty Wombats - admittedly took the pair some time to figure out, but with something catchy that "relates to our personality" on the must-have list, they struck gold.
"We were on a trip back down to Sydney and on the way we were talking about names for the business. We came up with a few ideas but none really stuck. The Crafty Wombats came out of nowhere," Kevin said.
"I think we drove past a wombat sign so we started thinking you've got the Mudgee Wombats and there are plenty of wombats around. It just all worked," Mitch said.
"We've even got a little mascot, Wally. He's going to follow us around," Kevin added.
There is no feat too big or small for The Crafty Wombats who attempt to rejuvenate as many pieces as possible, with some often leaving their "den" in a different form.
"If we pick up a table and find there's water damage or there's a split, we'll try and salvage timber off that. We try to use all of the material," Mitch said.
"The piece may start off as a table, for instance, but it may not finish up as a table. For example, we've got some dining tables to work on and they'll be made into draws," Kevin said.
"We've got a few funky, rustic things up at the moment and a lot of tables coming. Our coffee tables have had an amazing response."
Locals are encouraged to get in touch with The Crafty Wombats if they have any items that may be fit for a new lease of life, and can do so by contacting them via their website or on Facebook.
Items for sale can also be found on the website or Facebook page.
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