Restoring Hope through Habitat for Humanity
Over the past few months, members of our team have been working to restore and repurpose furniture pieces for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne’s ReStore Your Passion event. Our team chose two pieces to work with – a vanity and an empty radio cabinet. We restored the vanity, and repurposed the radio cabinet into a record player.
About the Vanity
Crafted in the late 19th century by Innis Pearce & Co. of Rushville, Indiana, this vanity desk carries with it more than a century of craftsmanship and Midwestern history. Once a utilitarian piece, it has been thoughtfully reimagined by the Elevatus team to honor its past while embracing modern living.
The desk was refinished in a dark, moody palette that brings depth and character, allowing the vanity’s original form to take center stage while fitting seamlessly into today’s interiors. Carefully applied gilding wax highlights select details, adding subtle richness and a touch of quiet elegance. The original mirror has been upgraded with integrated lighting designed for everyday desktop activities, with color-changing capabilities that adapt to mood, task, or time of day.
This unique piece blends heritage and innovation—revived with intention, and ready for its next chapter in a home that values both history and design. Take a seat at your new desk today.
About the Record Player
Originally crafted circa 1905 by Atwater Kent Manufacturing—once the largest radio manufacturer in the world—this piece represents an early moment in the evolution of home sound and entertainment. When it arrived in the Elevatus team’s care, the cabinet was hollow, its original radio long gone, but its purpose was clear. Rather than reinvent it completely, we chose to restore its original intent: bringing music into the home—reimagined for today.
The once-nailed-down top has been carefully preserved and transformed into a fully functioning lid using hydraulic soft-close hinges, allowing the original materials to remain while dramatically improving usability. Inside, the cabinet now houses a modern record player and built-in sound system, offering the warmth of vinyl alongside the convenience of Bluetooth streaming from your phone.
To complement the listening experience, we introduced a discreet, soft-close drawer designed to store favorite records, seamlessly integrated to maintain the cabinet’s clean lines and historic character.
This one-of-a-kind piece bridges more than a century of audio history—where craftsmanship meets innovation, and the past plays beautifully into the present.
Pieces Purchased for Highest Bid of the Night!
The night of the event, the pieces (as a pair) sold for $5,750! On top of that, our team raised just over $4,300. This means our team alone raised over $10,000 for Habitat!
We know how important it is for people to be able to own their own home. With that comes attachment of place, pride in their property, and equity in their investment. We are so proud of the pieces we restored and created, and are even prouder knowing how our efforts will impact families in our community as they work toward homeownership.
Big news: Thanks to incredible community support, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne reached its $150,000 fundraising goal through ReStore Your Passion.
