Eco living, sustainable, recycling and upcycling are now key words heard in most homes. The approach by many is to create an environment whereby lifestyle choices can have an impact on the world around us.
Furniture Upcycling is having such a fantastic surge in exposure as we learn it is possible to re-use quality-built furniture, created by craftsmen decades ago. Many pieces of furniture are steeped with family history and are quite often hidden away as the dark brown wood, vintage appearance doesn’t quite fit with the modern home. We are lucky to have in the UK a vast range of furniture artists cleverly refurbishing these forgotten pieces transforming them into beautiful, stunning usable furniture to be seen and appreciated.
Upcycled furniture beautifully created correctly takes time, knowledge, patience, quite often a few chosen words along the way, but time is the major factor. The preparation of furniture for its transformation is key and this time can often be underestimated. Furniture may need a repair or two, veneer stripped back or repaired, dents, scuffs filled and sanded. The studio here is full of gadgets and tools to execute this process.
Choosing the correct paint for the furniture to last can be daunting, but with a thorough consultation with the client, the finish can be discussed whether a rustic or sleek modern look is required. Colour can massively play a big part in the transformation. Some older vintage pieces lean towards plain bolder overall colour, whereas Mid Century Modern styling often leans towards modern geometric lines keeping some of the original wood exposed and treated. Tastes are personal, and this phase can be daunting but listening and managing expectations is a must. Furniture doesn’t purely have to be only painted. Being a furniture artist allows the creative juices to flow. Exploring decoupage, 3D mouldings, gilding, gold leaf, wood burning finishes are popular too and can take the furniture to a whole new level of transformation. The countless combinations of colour, finishes, new handles etc can transform well-made furniture from drab to fab.
What do you own that can be re-loved again?
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