Why buy upcycled furniture?

Where do I start? We've all heard about 'sustainability' and 'eco interiors' but what does that really mean and how can we do our part?

We've used so much of the earth's natural resources over the years it can feel like there's no way back, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try right? If we all try to buy more responsibly and thoughtfully, it can make a real difference. 

Apart from the environmental benefits of buying upcycled furniture, by buying upcycled you're getting something totally unique that no-one else will have, ever. So from a design perspective, you're getting something totally bespoke and individual - it's a no brainer!

• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT - 22 million pieces of furniture are discarded in the UK each year, and most of them end up in landfill. We are luckily starting to understand the impact our throwaway society has created but there's so much more we can do. 
• Have a look around your home, rather than buy something new, what about that sideboard you've got that is still very functional just not your style anymore? Can that be repurposed? Maybe you're looking for storage for a specific space - have you got something or could find something second hand that needs resizing and would then be perfect?

• INDIVIDUALITY - Upcyled furniture by its very nature is individual, whether it's painted in a different colour or resized to fit a space. It can be created to your specifications and totally personal to you. Maybe you've already got a piece that holds real meaning but isn't your style - colour and design can transform it into something you love both inside and out.  
• Sometimes we accumulate furniture, that bookcase you needed to house all the kids books, no longer needed for them but could be upcycled to now sit in the living room? So much of my own furniture has lived in various rooms in our home, with different colours and designs. Just because you bought it for one space doesn't mean it couldn't look fabulous in another.

 This was a very special commission piece and was to be used as a prayer/meditation cabinet. I sourced the original piece but it wasn't quite tall enough so I cut the existing legs off and added new ones in keeping with the design. The colours were taken from the lampshade in the room it was going in and the gold leafed inscription had real significance for my customer.

We also lined the drawers with Ghanaian fabric to reflect her heritage. A truly bespoke, individual piece.

• SUPPORTING SMALL ARTISANS - We pay professionals to decorate our homes, plumbers, electricians so it's great that professional upcycling is becoming much more of a recognised art, yay!
• Whether you're looking for that stand out piece to go in your home or want to commission something specific, as a professional upcycler it's all about elevating the original piece and turning it into something awesome.

 A small pot cupboard that I was gifted, turned into a cool table for our lounge by turning it on it's side, adding leg, neww handles and a cool painted star design

There are SO many options with furniture, repurposing, restyling or upcycling. Whether you redo something yourself or commission someone to do it for you, upcycling a piece will ALWAYS be the better option when thinking about a 'new' piece of furniture.