Upcycled Decor: Hunker Key Trends 2018 DIY Style Upcycling the art of transforming an unwanted product into a new item of greater value is getting a new lease of life across interiors as reuse becomes a buzzword
Overview Winter's Moon Reestore Upcycling is riding high among crafters and renovators. Designers and brands are tuning into the character and creativity offered by this sustainable and inventive practice, too. As plastic consumption and waste continue to hit the headlines, renewed interest in upcycling is pushing it from niche, frugal solution to a relevant and desirable part of the interiors industry Home crafters and small-scale upcycling businesses find ever-more resourceful ways to turn trash into treasure, with an emerging contemporary aesthetic that moves upcycling beyond its rustic, whitewashed associations The circular economy is a strong influence, with growing awareness and emphasis placed on the history of the materials used, but also their future: how items can be disposed of or upcycled again when no longer required Material supplies come from waste products including phones, tin cans and coffee grounds IKEA Hackers Sustainability credentials are proudly displayed: Pentatonic's website displays a 'product impact dashboard' for each item Pentatonic
Authentic Salvage Boris Lab Designer Light Furniture Magpies Brush64 HomeDzine A4A Design Upcycled furniture items proudly showcase the materials they were created from, with no attempt made to disguise them. In some cases, they are even celebrated. A4A Design's benches upcycle corrugated cardboard bases with slick new tops, while Furniture Magpies uses old chair spindles for a new lamp base. Tying in with the industrial trend, salvaged metals, from oil drums to mechanical parts, make for utilitarian lamps, seats and storage.
Social Collaborations Jay & Co Curro Claret Petit Miracles Closing the Loop Restoration Station Future Foundry A growing number of upcycling organisations are reaching out to work with members of the community who are at risk of social exclusion. Teaching new skills and inspiring creativity and sustainability through the repurposing of items otherwise destined for landfill, these projects offer advantages to all parties. London's Restoration Station, a vintage furniture workshop that engages people in recovery from addiction, is a shining example.
Contemporary Looks Florrie & Bill Carlos Jimenez Malmö Upcycling Service Kith & Kin Elvis & Kresse Lorna Doyle A new wave of upcycling brands and crafters are pushing forward a more contemporary approach, where the element of upcycling often isn't even visually apparent. Clean silhouettes and bright, punchy colours and patterns appear fresh and chime with current interiors trends. Lorna Doyle prints bold designs onto recycled wetsuit material, while Malmö Upcycling Service combines recycled materials with modern material-blocking.
Quick-Fix Repurposing Design Sponge Remodela Casa VT Wohnen Hen & Hammock Curbly @sarahmoorehome Pre-tend Imaginative reinterpretations of everyday products or vintage finds needn't always require a full-on redesign or a weekend of toiling. Simple updates and reuses offered by brands and created by crafters show the clever ways items can be repurposed. Market sacks are cut down and remade into plant pot covers, a tenantless vintage birdcage is transformed into a quirky cutlery lampshade, and an old book crate with family history becomes a coffee table.
Surfaces With Soul Light Locations Nkuku Beach Studios Bert & May Beach Studios Modern Rustic Hester's Handmade Home Plank or sheet materials, often removed from old buildings or from within previous constructions, are used to clad walls, worktops and cabinetry, instantly injecting character. Industrial pieces such as corrugated metal form a striking feature wall, half-split lengths of wood create a rustic cabin vibe, while tin tiles traditionally used on ceilings make for a delicately decorative wall detail.
Vintage Style Vinterior Annie Sloan Timorous Beasties Heart Handmade Howe London Lauren Chorpening While not technically upcycling, creative makeovers can revive items and create bespoke, individualised products. Designers such as Timorous Beasties juxtapose traditional furniture with modern upholstery, updating vintage styles. Annie Sloan's detail brushes make painting furniture easy, used with her signature Chalk Paint, which can adhere to any surface without primer.
Waste Not Studio Lotte Douwes ecobirdy Sebastian Cox x Ninela Ivanova Billie van Katwijk Pentatonic Bitmap, Horizontal Designers harness nature and technology to create new products and materials using renewable production methods. Sebastian Cox and Ninela Ivanova's leather-look furniture and lighting is made from vegetative fungi, while Billie van Katwijk uses waste cow stomachs to make tactile, colourful fabrics. Smile Plastics is in high demand for its mottled surfaces, which are made from recycled coffee grounds, food packaging and plant pots.
Action Points Empower at-home creativity: offer tutorials, videos or in-store resources that give your customers the confidence to try upcycling techniques at home Explore deadstock: reprint, recolour or recut unsold or overstocked items to breathe new life into products Mix references: pair a modern shape with a retro paint colour, or vice versa, to create instant contrast Highlight the craft touch: make a feature of joinings and hardware to show that the piece has been lovingly remade Make it sleek: while some consumers love the handmade look, appeal to a wider audience with repurposed pieces that look fresh and new Ideal Home
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