Reinventing the Heirloom with Hibiscus House

In an age of instant everything, there’s a return to pieces with provenance, with shape, with soul. At the helm of one such movement is Elizabeth Hutchinson, the founder of Hibiscus House, a refurbishment studio that believes in the power of old furniture made new.

Elizabeth sources vintage furnishings—often coastal-inspired silhouettes, chinoiserie touches, bamboo curves—and coats them in high-lacquer finishes that shimmer unapologetically. The result is a line of pieces that feel as though they’ve been pulled from a Slim Aarons photograph, each one a sun-drenched wink.

And Hutchinson’s work is as much about nostalgia as it is about renewal.

She’s not in the business of restoring antiques for museums. These are everyday heirlooms, brought back to life with color, gloss, and a little bit of guts. A console becomes seafoam green. An etagere turns coral. A tired chest, lacquered in navy, takes on a cool new authority.

There is a tactile pleasure to it all, yes—but also a quiet reverence. What might feel cheeky on the surface is, in fact, a philosophy: that the best homes aren’t build in a season, and the best rooms are dressed in character, not catalog sameness.

Our conversation for Grandma’s Silver, which drifts from sourcing stories to the emotional life of old furniture, explores the deeper narrative of keeping things, of giving them polish, of believing that what was once loved can be loved again.

It’s not a trend. It’s a temperament.

And at Hibiscus House, it’s lacquered.

Listen to the Hibiscus House podcast episode here.