IN WITH THE OLD AND OUT WITH THE NEW
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FURNITURE UP CYCLER
We asked Marie Smith, owner of The Artisan Bothy, to tell us more about her passion for giving a second chance to outdated furniture. Why did you choose furniture upcycling? I only had hand-me-down furniture as a 70s child. We were a low income family. When grandparents were modernising, replacing old furniture, we took it all in. Now there is constant pressure to have the very latest trend. Among it, imports, poorly workmanship, short life stuff which will end up as waste. It just doesn’t compare to traditional furniture, made with real craftmanship and skills which will disappear. That’s one good reason to hold onto the old stuff for as long as we can.
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Almost everything we buy ends up in landfill eventually, so my philosophy is this. By making something beautiful enough for someone to love it a little bit longer, I am doing my bit to delay the inevitable. It’s why I will also consider
rejuvenating later well made pieces which have outstayed their welcome too.
What is a typical day like in your bothy studio? No two days are the same. One day I’ll be cleaning and repairing a dresser for painting. The next I am stripping an old chair to re-cover or simply feeding an old antique with wax. I do commissions for clients as well as hold my own stock of pieces to refinish for re-sale. Customers also ask me to source pieces to complete their home. There is so much variety. It’s another reason I love my work.
Where do you get your ideas from? Deciding which direction to take furniture is quite subjective. Left to my own devices, I would first look at the age of a piece. It’s shape and lines kind of speak to me. Then it can be something as simple as nature, a fabric, wallpaper or handles which suggests a colour palette and style. For commissions, the best inspiration is my customer. It’s important to understand the space
