Revamped!

By Louisa Parr

A visit to the city’s recycling centre always fills me with great angst, simply by witnessing the sheer volume of decent, sturdy items that could easily be reused or re-purposed again, being thrown into giant skips awaiting landfill. It seems such a crying shame, is so detrimental to the environment and it irks me greatly.

I’ve always been an avid fan of anything vintage, from fabrics and clothing to furniture. I've taken the most sorrowful of items and turned them into quirky, reusable pieces. If you're into the upcycled or re-purposed look, the sky’s the limit and what’s great about each finished piece is that it's completely unique.

So, I decided that my lounge was looking rather tired and tatty and that the Covid-19 lockdown was the ideal time to get stuck in. My goal was to revamp the room and give it a completely different look.

Everything I needed was sourced either via the internet or gifted by friends who’d leave items in my back garden for me to ‘Louisa-ize'. I had several editions of ‘TIME' magazine from the States, lush fabrics from France and British made cloth maps dating back from the early 20th century. I found the most sumptuous silk roses and peonies online from a warehouse in Somerset. But my best acquisition by far was a slightly sorry looking steamer trunk that’s over eighty years old. The friend who’d given it to me had been saying for years that he was going to make it into a coffee table, but never did! I gave it four chunky wooden feet and a foam upholstered seat covered in a rich funky fabric. That very same trunk now sits resplendent in my lounge as a beautiful multi functional window seat and blanket box.

I've taken the most sorrowful of items and turned them into quirky, reusable pieces.

I dyed old fabrics, made curtains and cushion covers, decorated lampshades and re-purposed old knackered suitcases into shelving.

The overall theme has an eclectic, eccentric look about it, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I am really pleased with the outcome and didn’t spend a fortune either.

So maybe the next time you go to throw something away or take it to the tip, perhaps you could have a rethink and try a little upcycling instead? If not, I'm sure you know someone who would! Remember the old saying ”what’s one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure”