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Leslie Sykes refers to herself as a person who hunts for old stuff and reinvents it for reuse. Sykes, who sells vintage and reinvited furniture and handmade jewelry, opened Scavéngerie on Dec. 4. The store is at 107 E. 18th St., Costa Mesa. Call (949) 515-2918.

What is Scavéngerie, and how did you come up with the name?

It’s Scavenger with a French twist that I added myself. The name just came to me.

Why did you give your store that name?

Because basically it’s kind of what I’m. I take things and make them special.

What do you sell in this store?

It’s a home, yard, art, gifts, jewelry and design store.

What do you mean by design?

I would go into someone’s home and reconfigure it and I prefer to use things that they already have and in this economic time, it’s probably a better way than to redo everything.

Is this the first time for you opening your own store?

No, I had my own store in the late ’90s for about three years. And I had a space or a store going for the past 12 years. I rented a space in a store in San Clemente for the last few years and decided that I needed to move back home and be in the ’hood and have my own thing.

What made you want to open the store here?

I just wanted to get back in my own neighborhood. I feel like there isn’t anything like this in this area anymore.

What do you mean by that?

I just think there are a lot of new furniture and home furnishing stores and with the economy the way it is, I just wanted to bring back pieces that are kind of remade and re-invented. I wanted to bring vintage items mixed with contemporary art work.

Where do you find and bring items like this?

I take something that somebody is maybe selling at a yard sale and find the client for it and or re-purpose it for the store in a way that you wouldn’t necessary visualize.

How do you transform an old piece of furniture or jewelry into something different that can be used?

Taking a French chair that’s got good bones and good structure and recovering it in a fabric that’s more modern and more appealing to a wider variety of people, or taking a piece of furniture that’s wood and paint it in a bright, modern color. I truly believe in an eclectic kind of look.

What else do you sell here?

I have someone that hand-makes beautiful notecards and costume paintings and ornaments. I have someone that makes wax candles. I’m also looking to carry another hand-made line of soap and candle products, and I carry hand-block-printed scarves.