FLORIDA FINDS
Trash heap treasure: Contractor remakes industrial discards

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Imprevistus
Where: 4724 SW 75th Ave., MiamiHours: By appointment Contact: 305-244-9432, 305-778-9785 or www.imprevistus.comBY PATTI ROTH
roth94@aol.com
On the floor of this showroom, you'll encounter an oblong sculptural piece that's intriguingly pocked and imperfect. A pointy triangle juts from the flat surface like a nose on a face.
The hefty object -- scratches and all -- fits right in with the assortment of furniture and accessories at Imprevistus. In here, plenty of the decorative one-of-a-kind items were transformed from toss-outs, leftovers and stray industrial items. This sculptural piece, which might also work nicely as a table base, previously was a wrecking ball, says the man behind the makeover, Enrique Gomez-Alejo. He smoothed out some of the rougher sections to make the surface safe for passersby, while retaining the raw appeal that he treasures. It's $2,000.
Gomez-Alejo, a landscape contractor based in Miami-Dade County, shares his passion for repurposing objects with business partner Vilma Dailey, an interior designer. The two teamed up about a year ago as owners of this business, which features refurbished, reupholstered and re-invented items.
Gomez-Alejo especially enjoys working with such items as old tractor parts and construction debris. Some of these pieces he rescues from trash heaps at sites where he's working as a contractor. Others he purchases at garage sales. For Gomez-Alejo, the rich, worn, weathered patinas add even more personality.
Among the pieces in the showroom is a glass-topped coffee table with a unique base. It's an iron railroad utility wagon complete with wheels, and priced at $650.
A wooden piece that might serve as a kitchen island or bar was built from several old doors. The price is $650. Elsewhere, floor lamps, $425 and $450,provide a unique re-use for old lengths of chain. The welded links form the round base, then stand vertically as a distinctive support for the shade.
A set of side tables, $325 each, was made from a pair of fold-up frames that plaster workers use on the job site. Gomez-Alejo brushed and sanded away bits of debris, allowing the aged metal to maintain its natural integrity. On the job site, he said, workers top the frames with plywood. For Imprevistus, Gomez-Alejo topped the frames with marble.
''All these industrial pieces, they become beautiful design pieces,'' Gomez-Alejo says.
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