I launched Upcyclist.co.uk in 2011 – a blog reporting on beautiful buildings, rooms, furnishings and objects made from redundant materials.
It started with an illustrator friend, Sophie Crichton, who drew my attention to the art of making something from nothing. Seeing her transform furniture found on the street with detailed illustrations highlighted the necessary imagination and skill required to create a truly beautiful, durable and desirable product from waste.
I was inspired to curate an online space that featured expertly upcycled pieces; handmade works that genuinely lengthened the life span of the materials used, because they could be considered works of art. Sometimes there is no eco-conscious motive for these pieces. Old materials and objects simply offer something that cannot be created from new.
These designer-makers demonstrate resourcefulness, but also draw our attention to the planet’s dwindling resources and our attitude to waste. As much as they bring beauty and style to our daily lives, Upcyclist encourages curiosity towards the things that surround us. The stories behind them, the people who make them, the materials they are made from and where they will end up.
The people and projects featured here bring beauty and style to our daily lives, whilst moving us closer to a more sustainable future.
If you have a story that you think may be of interest, please contact antonia@upcyclist.co.uk
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Antonia Edwards is the author of Upcyclist: Reclaimed and Remade Furniture, Lighting and Interiors (Prestel Publishing, 2015) and Renovate Innovate: Reclaimed and Upcycled Homes (Prestel Publishing, 2017). In 2015, she was selected for the The Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list of influential Londoners.
