Regina man's nostalgic furniture scores big points with Nintendo fans
If you want to level-up your living room, you might want to talk to Jeremy Rieger.
The Regina man is a cabinet-maker, but he also has a special project on the side called Big Time Furniture. Rieger makes coffee tables that look just like classic Nintendo Entertainment Systems.
"I was originally thinking I'd do the more traditional style furniture, or maybe something a little more funky," he said. "I had this concept in mind and I thought, 'Let's give this a try.'"
He said he doesn't consider himself a 'gamer,' but he has a soft spot for the 'old school' video games he played when he was young.
"As a kid I was hardcore into gaming," he said, laughing. "I had a Nintendo Entertainment System. I got it as a birthday gift when I was 12 and it was probably the best gift I ever had. That's all I wanted to do, basically."
He didn't know if anyone would want to buy his first Nintendo furniture piece, but when he posted it on Facebook, he got an offer right away. Now, he's getting requests from all over Canada, the United States, and even Europe.
He hasn't stopped at the coffee tables, which come in at $1,000 or $1,200 depending on whether you want a realistic drawer that opens just like the original consoles. He's made matching side tables that look like Nintendo controllers, others that look like Lego, and a table that looks like a cassette tape.
Rieger knows he's not the only guy making these kind of items, but as far as he knows, he's the only one in Saskatchewan.
"It's niche stuff that maybe is not everybody's bag, but I think most people can appreciate it, and appreciate the skill and time that I take to work on it," Rieger said.
