This beautiful installation is by American artist Phillip K. Smith.  ‘Lucid Stead’ is a weathered 70 year old homesteader shack in the Joshua Tree desert, California.  Transformed with mirrors and LED panels.  By day mirrors on the outside of the structure reflect its... Read More →

Loving this beautiful work from Belgian designer Maarten De Ceulaer. Perhaps more repurposing than upcycling i.e. reconfiguring suitcases into furniture, but very smartly done nonetheless. Desk of Suitcases (pictured above) from The Leather Collection is made from suitcases and... Read More →

Christmas is a great time to get creative and sometimes the best results can come from reusing miscellaneous bits and pieces you have lying around the house. Assemblage trees can be put together from virtually anything. They’re fun to make, look contemporary and can b... Read More →

Last week the incredible Lumiere Festival lit up the city of Durham, UK.  The festival showcased stunning light installations by artists from all over the world. One of the works on show was Litre of Light by My Shelter Foundation, a Filipino charity that has brought light to... Read More →

This wooden pallet Caban beach house is situated at Morito Beach in Hayama, Japan.  Designed by Japan-based designer David Guarino in collaboration with local artists, the structure is made entirely from shipping palettes and regional materials.  The structure includes a lounge... Read More →

We’re loving these benches made from vintage tailgates by Yesterday Reclaimed. Located in Virginia’s horse and cattle country, pieces are created from salvaged materials such as hardwoods from old barns and steel from farming implements.  The above Blue Collar Bench... Read More →

This summer, Susie MacMurray exhibited a new work at Fabrica gallery in Brighton, UK.  ‘Resonance’ is made up of thousands of musical manuscripts ranging from traditional hymns to modern jazz which are suspended from the ceiling of the gallery which used to be a... Read More →

A while ago we featured the work of Nottingham artist Donya Coward who makes work of art from Victorian antique embroideries, fabrics and haberdashery and vintage Nottingham and French laces.  We couldn’t resist sharing these adorable freestanding Jack Russell Terriers.  As... Read More →

UK brand Antiform have just launched their latest clothing range, the 7th collection since they began making clothes from reclaimed fabrics in 2007. The collection includes plaid leggings, oversized t-shirts as well as some great new unisex sweaters.  Here are some of our... Read More →

Simple and unique  – we love this scented candle by Ines Cole made from a vintage jelly mould. The mould is hand poured with organic soya wax and lightly scented with natural essential oils in Limeleaf and Ginger.  It can also be hand washed and used as a jelly mould after... Read More →

Brian Smallwood is a Nottingham artist who reclaims car windscreens and turns them into works of art.  Over a million windscreens are scrapped each year.  Smallwood purchases them from eBay and scrap dealers before cleaning them up and painting on to them with acrylics – an... Read More →

These incredibly fragile works of art started out as newspaper pages from Le Devoir and The International Herald Tribune.  The artist Myriam Dion, currently studying in Quebec uses a scalpel to create intricate newspaper cut-outs, drawing inspiration for each lacework patterns... Read More →

Istanbul design firm Meb Rure have created a family of furniture made of American white oak with upholstery made from balls of recycled Nepalese yarn.  The colourful balls are made from saris create a lovely spongey seat for a chair and footstool – perfect for brightening... Read More →

A few months ago we blogged about Disc O’Clock’s laser cut vinyls clocks.  They have recently brought out a new product – decorative tiles made from cut records.  Made in Italy, the tiles come in a range of retro style geometric designs and fit together to... Read More →

Out this month is a book by Ellie Laycock, Creating the Vintage Look: 35 ways to upcycle for a stylish home.  There are some great projects to experiment with at home, some of which are really very easy.  A few favourites include the silk scarf cushion, vintage tin clock and... Read More →

These great upcycled pieces are by British designer Mel Made This.  Mel reinvents unloved lamps and furniture, transforming them into chic bohemian objects d’arts.  Trained in textile design, her pieces are adorned with vintage fabrics in paisley, floral and geometric... Read More →

Online fashion giants ASOS have created The Green Room – a section of the website dedicated exclusively to ethically produced fashion.  As well as sustainable and Fairtrade clothing, here they showcase pieces which are made in the UK and the US.  Also included is an eco... Read More →

Great to see more upcycled pieces appearing at Heal’s.  This new cut glass lighting collection by DeGross for Heal’s is British made, crafted from upcycled amber glass chemical bottles and finished with brass fitting.  As well as a table lamp, wall lamp, floor lamp... Read More →

At New York Fashion Week this month, J.Crew‘s surf inspired SS14 collection was showcased on a catwalk  made out of reclaimed boardwalk wood from Coney Island, Rockaway Beach and Atlantic City.  The floor was made by Sawkill Lumber Co. which salvages wood from the... Read More →

Out of the Dark aren’t just giving a new lease of life to old furniture, they’re helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the process.  This brilliant social enterprise was founded by Jay and Jade Blades and is an extension of Street Dreams.  The... Read More →

The jury’s still out on this one.  Would you eat your coffee and cake in a converted mens public toilet?  Attendant in Fitzrovia, London was once a 19th-century public bathroom complete with porcelain Victorian urinals.  After laying dormant for fifty years Ben Russell and... Read More →

These one of a kind cushions by Square Modern are made with rare and original mid-century textile remnants from prestigious textile manufacturers including Maharam, Kvadrat, Knoll and Kravet.  The brand was started by New Yorker Suzanne Renard who now resides in Paris, with the... Read More →

New York based Kempton & Co was started by British designer Fiona Kempton.  Daughter of a racehorse  trainer and jockey who won the Grand National in 1967, many of her designs are inspired by equestrian accessories such as saddles, straps, riding boots and wax canvas rain... Read More →

Proving humble objects have more to offer than first meets the eye, these lights and chandeliers are all made from Bic biro pens.  The Spanish designer Lucas Munoz took his inspiration from the 1920’s Charleston fringe and combined it with an iconic 20th-century object... Read More →

Loving this joyful handmade floral patchwork arm chair.  This eye catching piece is made up of remnants from Indian fabrics and comes in three designs, all with walnut legs.  Purchase it now for £390 at Rockett St George! Images via Rockett St George Read More →

Lost Property of London by Katie Bell continues its trademark ‘Rough Luxe’ aesthetic with their SS13 collection.  We love the colours chosen for the Envelope pictured above which is made from vegetable tanned leather and upcycled sailcloth, also available in... Read More →

Architectural firm CODA have won the MoMA PS1 2013 young architects program.  Their project ‘Party Wall’ has been installed in the MoMA PS1 courtyard, a temporary urban landscape made of reclaimed wood donated by Comet who manufacture eco-friendly skateboards.  The... Read More →

The brilliant website 1001pallets.com is entirely dedicated to creative projects that reuse, repurpose and upcycle wooden pallets.  The site allows you submit your own personal projects which means there are dozens of inspirational ideas to browse though.  They say “an... Read More →

I’ve been meaning to blog about awesome London art collective Robots>>>> ever since I saw their work ‘Everything is Beautiful When You Don’t Look Down’. It formed part of the Festival of the World last year and featured two imposing figures... Read More →

Launched only in the last few weeks, Galapagos Designs is a new online store selling fabulous vintage furniture.  Their collection from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s has been fabulously revamped for a 21st century audience, all handmade in the UK. The brand upholds three... Read More →

The stunning work of German artist Klaus Dauven is often described as ‘reverse graffiti’.  Rather than creating artwork by applying layers of spray paint to the urban environment, his work is about subtracting the dirt and grime from public areas to reveal beautiful... Read More →

A fabulous new upcycling studio has just launched in south east Wales.  Humblesticks revive mid-twentieth-century furniture, lighting, mirrors and accessories.  The G Plan 1950’s chest of drawers pictured above has been given a zesty makeover with their signature lead grey,... Read More →

Jasmine Matus is a contemporary jeweller and maker from Sydney.  Experimenting with concepts, materials and scale, her pieces often juxtapose unconventional materials, pairing precious metals with plastics, paint, wood, felt and found objects.  She says “Jewellery is... Read More →

I have been dubious about the upcycled vinyl record clock, but it looks like Disc O’Clock have a lot more to offer than most. Made in Italy, clocks are crafted from scratched records donated by partner DJs and are intricately laser cut into awesome silhouettes.  Purchase... Read More →

Last weekend I embarked on a marvellous all day workshop in furniture painting techniques at The Good Life Centre in Southwark, London which taught us a range of tricks on updating tired and unloved pieces of furniture. We were offered insider tips on stripping paint, filling,... Read More →

According to artist Scott Weaver, an estimated 3,000 painstaking hours have gone into creating this unbelievable sculpture made entirely from toothpicks.  The detail (not to mention the fragility) is almost impossible to fathom.  But it gets better – the work entitled... Read More →

Reet Aus is an Estonian fashion designer who has carried out doctoral research in creating upcycled clothing on an industrial scale.  Not only has she founded Trash to Trend, a community-cum-digital-platform that seeks to extend the lives of production offcuts, she has also... Read More →

Linescapes is a multidisciplinary brand by Amalia Sanchez who has a passion for bringing new life to old objects.  As well as running an interior design consultancy, she hand paints boxes, trays and home accessories to give them a new lease of life.  Her work has a unique graphic... Read More →

The ceiling light you can upcycle over and over.  This three tiered Page Chandelier allows you to clip on book pages, post cards, tickets, photos or anything that takes your fancy and illuminate them from inside.  Very easy to update whenever you fancy a change.  You can purchase... Read More →

Last week, a wave of hot fresh design talent descended on the Business Design Centre in Angel, London.  Part 1 of New Designers 2013 featured the work of design graduates in textiles, ceramics and jewellery  from all over the UK.  But it’s not over yet – Part 2 starts... Read More →

Back in 2011 we featured the Heinz Lamp by Dutch designer Willem Heefer.  The designer has now produced a series of lamps for the Midhill Diner in Helsinki which belongs to top Finnish chef Hans Välimäki.  Heefer had 334 cans collected and cleaned before transforming them into... Read More →

This month I attended ‘Sustain’ – Brighton Fashion Week‘s first ever show dedicated to eco fashion design.  As expected, there was an exciting concoction of upcycled pieces from the elegant to the extraordinary demonstrating that making use of reclaimed... Read More →

Reclaim to Wear has once again partnered up with Topshop for another fantastic upcycled capsule collection which launched yesterday at the Oxford Circus store.  Reclaim To Wear was launched in 1997 by Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci to find design solutions to the problem of... Read More →

Come September, artist Doug Aitkin will be turning a train into a kinetic sculpture (as per the rendering above), a moving cultural studio for a project called Station to Station. The art train on tour will stop at 10 locations across the USA and the artist will curate a site... Read More →

Last year, Brasil born designer, maker and artist Paulo Goldstein began a collection of works called Repair is Beautiful.  Salvaging broken chairs, lights and other objects, Paulo takes a Da Vinci-esque approach to fixing things, making the repair mechanism a design feature of... Read More →

Jars used as light fittings are a common sight in cafes and restaurants these days.  Here however, you have two lots of upcycling going on with the Broken Glass Jar light by Polish design studio Wzorowo which contains shards of broken glass.  An extremely simple but effective... Read More →

Globe Hope is a 10-year-old Finnish company that designs and manufactures a huge range of upcycled products, from bags made of used advert banners to earrings made from computer keys.  There are some fantastic clothes made from deadstock and reclaimed fabrics too, including items... Read More →

Robots made from dolls are not usually my thing. In fact, it’s the kind of upcycling that gives me nightmares. However, there is something strangely endearing about these characters by Andrea Petrachi, first spotted on This is Colossal. The Italian artist uses old razors,... Read More →

A great way to add a pop of colour to your interior.  There is something very modern day Gatsby meets Alice and Wonderland about these fabulous lampshades by BeauVamp.  The company uses a mix of vintage and designer fabrics to make one of limited editions – commissions... Read More →

Deckstool exhibited their work at Grand Designs Live earlier this month.  They are a Pennsylvania company who make furniture from recycled skateboard decks.  Each piece of furniture retains the unique scratches and graffiti of the original board. Decks are even held together by... Read More →

This weekend marks the end of this year’s Brighton Festival.  One of the highlights for me was seeing this artwork by one of Finland’s leading artists Kaarina Kaikkonen.  She uses everyday objects such as second-hand clothing, toilet paper and women’s shoes to create... Read More →

It was whilst working for Gilbert and George as students in the late 1990s that Brit artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster  began experimenting with the assemblage of household rubbish.  Born out of this was their first shadow sculpture ‘Miss Understood & Mr Meanor’ which is... Read More →

These superb pendant lights are made from recycled wooden pallets by East Sussex based company Factory Twenty One.  There are five different shade colours and six different elastic colours to choose from.  Purchase on Etsy here! Images via Etsy zp8497586rq Read More →

The work of Ron van der Ende is exceptional not only for it’s awesome play of perspective but because all his bas-relief sculptures are made entirely from salvaged materials.  The Dutch artist doesn’t just paint with the materials, he will use one type of material to... Read More →

Tea Sunburst is part artwork-part retail merchandising which makes use of 3000 teabags dipped in paint.  The installation adorned the homewares department of Rolling Greens in Hollywood last year.  Very clever indeed.  Via Los Angeles I am Yours Images via Los Angeles I am Yours... Read More →

Loving this installation by Mike Hewson.  The work pays homage to the Christchurch Normal School which was destined for demolition after being badly damaged in the Feb 2012 Christchurch earthquake. Images have been superimposed onto the building which was established in 1876 but... Read More →

Another bold collection from the Leeds based upcycled fashion label Antiform for spring/summer.  This season boasts the Clash Cardigan – a cross between a cardigan and shrug made from reclaimed Yorkshire-knitted cotton with super-soft reclaimed grey stripe jersey lining. ... Read More →

Loving these beautiful lampshades by Australian upcyclist Rachel Burke and founder of Patturn.  She uses decoupage to apply vintage maps, dress patterns, sheet music and comic book pages to the shades which are made to order or available to buy here on Etsy! Images via Patturn... Read More →

Great to see this exclusive range of products at Habitat which are made of bright and colourful recycled, traditional Thai rice bags.  This includes the Tung 5-pocket concertina planter in blue or yellow (£12), Tung storage box (£20-£22), Tung round strawberry planter (£15) and... Read More →

According to the children’s song, the response to ‘there’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, dear Liza’ is ‘with a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry’ – a make do and mend principle taken literally by German designer... Read More →