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Carol Lindley and Rory Klinge, owners of re:design (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

When one enters re:design, a new repurposed, modern and vintage furniture store in Southold, the eye is immediately drawn to a large galvanized steel shelf unit near the doorway.

The item, which sits atop spindly metal legs and has a wooden tabletop, is a striking piece of furniture. It’s also just one example of Rory Klinge’s craftsmanship.

“We did an estate buyout and that was in the garage,” Klinge said during an interview in the new Main Road space. “My son picked up the hairpin legs somewhere, which were perfect, and I had this old shuffleboard floor. The pieces were just meant to be together.”

Klinge, who lives in Greenport, is a master “repurposer.” When he isn’t creating new pieces of furniture from old items, he and his wife, Carol Lindley, are “pickers,” or people who buy old, retro or vintage items and re-sell them. The couple will open their own store, re:design, in Southold on Saturday.

“Our tagline is modern and vintage furnishings,” Lindley said. “We’re very eclectic in the way we pick. It’s a little bit of everything, because if you’re purely one thing, then your audience is more limited. And we have experience from being in Greenport since 2009.”

For the past seven years, the couple has sold their repurposed furniture out of Gallery 429 in Greenport, which is shared by several artisans. Klinge also co-owns “Lost & Found,” a small shop on Beckwith Avenue in Southold that he shares with another dealer.

“Over there are mostly small things,” Klinge said. “We pick things that we like. It’s been successful and people seem to like what I like.”

The industrial shelf unit and floor lamp were repurposed by Rory Klinge, the bench and sofa are original pieces (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
The galvanized steel shelf unit and floor lamp are repurposed pieces by Rory Klinge. The bench and sofa are original items (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

Some of the items at re:design will be things the couple has bought, which will be sold as-is. Other items will be repurposed by Klinge. Besides that retro 1970s couch they discovered at a yard sale sits a unique floor lamp Klinge reinvented.

“It’s a land surveyor’s tripod stand that would be used for leveling a house or working on a construction site,” he said. “My background is in construction woodworking, so I have the skills to put these things together, do repairs — and the lamps are fun to do.”

Lindley’s background is in the corporate world, having spent several years working for American Express, then running a non-profit company. When she was laid off last year, it was the impetus the couple needed to launch re:design.

Klinge and Lindley look forward to joining an enclave of retailers they hope will turn Southold into a shopping destination. Anchored by nearby White Flower Farmhouse, shops like About Food, Coast, Lost & Found and TouchGOODS have all sprouted in the past few years to a receptive environment.

“We moved here because of Lori [Guyer, owner of The White Flower Farmhouse], and the space became available,” Lindley said. “Lori is the anchor. She has a huge following and she’s a good friend. We work hand in glove with her all the time because she has a completely different look than us. Sometimes we’ll even pick for each other.”

re:design will be open Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store will then be open every weekend through May.

In June, it will be open Fridays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

re:design is located at 53935 Main Road in Southold. For more information, call (631) 433-2336 or visit redesign-ny.com.

A vintage postal delivery unit for sale at re:design (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
A vintage postal distribution unit for sale at re:design (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
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