In a throwaway society that feels like we’re constantly after the next new thing, casting off the even slightly out of date I feel like we might (hopefully) be entering a new era of consciousness when it comes to our consumerism. People are voting with their wallets in their daily lives, choosing the loose veges that aren’t wrapped in plastic, choosing the bamboo toothbrush, and choosing to restore the existing furniture they have rather than getting rid of it and buying new. We are aware now, more than ever, of the impact these small daily choices make to this planet we call home.
I first started transforming furniture when our eldest was born. We had been given some family furniture to use in our home, and wanting to make it fit into our space, I decided to try giving it a makeover. I have come a long way since then (over 5 years ago) and have now made over countless pieces of furniture. (You can see a gallery of my work here.) To this day one of my favourite pieces is the dresser I did for that nursery for our second child, which is still in her room, now with a matching shelf.
One of the things I love most about furniture restoration - and there are a lot of things I love about it - are the endless possibilities before you start. I love working with my customers discussing various options, their colour schemes and the vibe of their home. One piece could look so different depending on who I’m transforming it for.
This latest piece I did is a great example of this! This dresser was bright and colourful for her daughters room but as she got older had outgrown it. We made a plan and did this piece to match a desk in her room, giving it a turquoise pop of colour, new handles and keeping the distressed look.
A couple of years later she got in touch again. This time she was finally giving her own bedroom some TLC and decided to claim this piece for herself. She was creating a space for herself that was a little moody and wanted this dresser to fit with the new vibe. To soften the navy I restored the timber top and we chose these modern glam hexagon handles to bring a feminine element. You would never know this was the same piece of furniture with such different looks!
Traditional handmade furniture tends to stand the test of time. These solid wooden pieces are such a joy to give a new lease of life to! Each is unique and can be linked to a certain period of time which can be emphasized or modernized depending on your home. The drawers are solid and don’t fall apart, or off their runners, like the new mass produced items available in shops today. They bring character and charm and can be transformed to reflect your personality.
But even if you don’t have an antique item waiting for some TLC that boring bedroom set you bought 10 years ago still has life in it yet! I love giving something that is pretty standard a fresh new look and customizing it to your home. It’s always so fun to surprise people with what can be done to completely transform that yawn-worthy factory item. Many people are surprised to see what some of the other furniture in our house (most of which came from my husbands first flat) used to look like!
Each of us are taking a different journey in life, but I think if we all slow down and think about what we really want - long term, not just in the moment - I believe the planet will be better off. When I travel (or used to back in those kid free days) my motto was always ‘take only photos, leave only footprints.’ I believe if we used this in our daily lives we will see the effects of this positive change sooner than we think. So take a second look at that thing in your home you don’t quite love, maybe it has potential you just haven’t seen yet!
If you’re interested in having a piece in your home restored you can contact me here.
Note: To shop the amazing ‘old is the new black’ t-shirt featured on the cover click the post title up top.