Entrepreneur: Krystal O’Mara, founder of ReMain Eco Design and Consulting.
O’Mara began transforming bikes into living room décor in February 2010.
“Aha” moment: O’Mara created a table out of bicycle rims early last year to raise money for the silent auction at 24 Hours in the Canyon, an annual bike race in Amarillo, Texas, that benefits cancer research. That first table lit the spark; O’Mara continued designing and building furniture from spare bike parts and other recycled materials, including reclaimed wood. The self-proclaimed handywoman even taught herself how to weld. “I grew up in a family where we never hired anyone to do anything,” she says. “I knew how to do a lot of home maintenance and painting, and I’ve always enjoyed upcycling old family furnishings.”
Biker chic: O’Mara incorporates assorted bicycle parts into each work. One of her tables had a top made entirely of cut-up tires. Recently, she made a chandelier from wheels and rims for a restaurant in Portsmouth, N.H.