the upcycle

TheUpcycle

OH HELLOIt’s Nice To Meet You

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ARE YOU READY TO JUMPSTART YOUR HOME’S CLEVER NOD TO THE PAST, GET CREATIVE , AND SAVE WAY MORE MONEY THAN YOU THOUGHT?

Let’s Get Started!

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HOW TO bE REUSEfUL 3 J EN & NATE’S UPCYCLED M IX 8

A GORGEOUS bEfORE & AfTER 1 2 D IY DAbbLE 1 4

CREATIVE I NSPIRATION 1 6 RESOURCES 1 7

How to be Reuseful

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It seems like as soon as the temperature starts to rise and

the flowers begin to blossom my need to redecorate and

rearrange my house shifts into high gear. I feel the need to

move the chairs closer to the windows. I want everything

to look lighter and brighter. I find myself pouring over

decorating magazines and websites, drooling over new

prints and patterns. Does this happen to you too? Don’t

rush out and buy a new piece of furniture just yet! You can

reuse, refinish and repurpose furniture you already have

to give your rooms a new Spring look for almost noth-

ing. Keep in mind, some of these photos are of my real

house…the one I live in with my three messy boys, a dog

and a cat. And a husband who doesn’t do windows. So,

dismiss the dirty floors and dusty windowsills.

I DEAS ON HOW TO RE - IMAG INE THE fURN ITURE YOU ALREADY OWN .

R E f I N I SH ITRefinishing is much easier than you would ever think. Quality

wood furniture is expensive, so if you have a good, solid piece

of furniture it will save you money in the long run if you can find a

way to make your piece work in a new way. The side table above

was natural maple color and it would not have worked in the

bedroom next to our mahogany bed. A fresh coat of white paint

and it looks perfect in this space.

PAI NT ITAlmost everything looks better with a coat of white paint. If you

have mismatched pieces that don’t share the same finish or

wood color, consider painting them all the same color for a more

unified look. I know all of the decorating magazines tell you to

change out the hardware and knobs, but this really works. If the

hardware on your kitchen cabinets or dresser drawers are mak-

ing it feel a bit frumpy, change them out! You will be glad you did.

ADD A LIT TLE AGEIf you love the look of Pottery Barn furniture, but not the prices,

you can give your current furniture the same treatment for little

to nothing. I love furniture with a rustic feel. “Rustic” means that

my 5 year old can run his hot wheels into the leg of our kitchen

table to his heart’s content giving his mother a hear attack. This

is a great link on how to repaint furniture black with an aged look.

(I’m sure it would work with white paint too). Or this one explains

the techniques for using wax to get a worn look.

STR I P ITI hate stripping furniture. I’ve only done it once. But it was worth

it. If you have mostly painted pieces, one natural wood table or

buffet can keep your room from having that “matchy-matchy”

look. And stripping furniture is a great alternative if you have

a quality wood piece of furniture that you want to return to its

original state.

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REUSE ITIf it is the clutter that is getting to you, try adding

doors or shutters to your bookcases. Or use

a tension rod and curtains to cover the mess.

You’ll love the instant change. Covering a sofa

with a slipcover might be the easiest way to

update your couch. Dining room chairs are

easily recovered with fabric and a staple gun

or small nails. Cut the legs off a taller table to

make it a shorter coffee table or a play table for

a playroom. Add castors to a trunk or suitcase

to make a rolling coffee table. Or add castors to

a bedside table to make a small kitchen island.

Take drawers out of a chest and use them as

shelves. Then, add a tension rod and curtains

to the dresser for a different look. Add fabric or

wallpaper to the backs of bookshelves, or as

curtains if cabinet doors are missing.

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“It’s a miracle what

a coat of paint can

do to an old, tired,

yet beautiful piece.”

Jen & Nate’s Upcycled Mix

LOCATION: TORONTO, CANADASIzE: 2 bEDROOMS, 800 SQfTYEARS LIVED I N: 2.5 YEARSA self-professed cheapskate, Jen doesn’t aspire to

own designer pieces or follow the latest trends; she

does, however, insist on sheltering only those items

that speak to her or Nate personally. Jen finds charm

and style in items that others see only as cast-aways,

relying on an arsenal of creative interventions to help

return them to their former luster. Jen shares her

methods, current decor, and style crushes on her blog.

She has also recently opened an online boutique, Will

& Bequeath, for those of you looking to score similarly

eclectic and enchanting second-hand treasures.

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OUR STYLE: ECLECTIC CHEAPSkATEINSPIRATION I’m most inspired by failures — art attempts gone

wrong, horrible old furniture put out on the curb, anything hand-

made that’s just a little bit wonky. Failed attempts have so much

heart. They inspire me to try new things. After all, what’s the

worst that could happen?

fAVOR ITE E LEMENT I tend to be in love with whatever I finished

most recently. Right now, I’m pretty into the salon wall in our hall

way, and the very dark blue walls of our bedroom. In a week, I

may love something else more. I’m lucky. I used to tell people that

I wanted my future home to be filled only with things I loved, and

I’m doing pretty well on that front. (Do I love my vacuum cleaner?

Not particularly — the suction leaves something to be desired —

but in terms of the home’s decorative elements, I’m all set.).

b IGGEST CHALLENGE Turning the place from a dark, dingy,

mouse-infested cave, which it was when Nathan lived here with

roommates — sorry, Nate — into what it is now: a cozy home.

Just making the space livable (at least, by my standards) was a

big job and on many occasions along the way, I wished we’d just

found a move-in-ready (read: clean) apartment instead, but in the

end, it was worth it.

“Throughout the couple’s home, family heirlooms and

art pieces can be found alongside salvaged furniture

and thrift store finds.”

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b IGGEST I NDULGENCE Oddly,

it’s the little stuff — decorative

pieces, housewares, knick-

knacks, bad art — that add

up. I buy it all second-hand,

mostly from places like Good-

will, so no single item is a

splurge, but I’m addicted, so

over time, I know I’ve spent

more than I should have on

stuff we don’t need.

bEST ADVICE Relax. Your

home will never be perfect,

and even it could be, perfec-

tion is overrated. It makes

people uncomfortable. (And

for goodness sake, wash your

shower curtain once in while.

Or at least replace the liner.)

DREAM SOURCES This is going

to make me sound like an

insufferable goody goody, but

even if money was no object,

I’d keep shopping the way I

do — at Goodwill, on Craig-

slist, etc.

“Throughout the couple’s home, family heirlooms and

art pieces can be found alongside salvaged furniture

and thrift store finds.”

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Beautiful

Before & After

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SOME ROOM MAkEOVERS JUST MAkE YOU SAY, “WOW.” TH IS IS ONE Of THEM . The room started with dingy avocado green

walls, an outdated chandelier and curtains,

and a floor in need of some serious love.

You’ll be shocked at what they were able to

do in only 3 weeks! Abbey from Aesthetic

Outburst and her husband are the masters

behind this spectacular renovation. They’re

both artists, and you can definitely see it

in their well-curated collection of largely

reclaimed and vintage decor. One of the unex-

pected things that Abbey really likes about

this house is that curtains aren’t needed; it’s

tucked back off the road and very private. A

French mattress for the window seat is in the

works. It’s the perfect reading spot.

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Inspiration DOES YOUR SPACE NEED A LIT TLE PICk-ME -UP?

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1 A pho to wa l l can eas i l y be c rea ted to make a b o ld s ta tement 2 Ti red o f y ou r o ld s ide b oa rd? Add a sp lash o f co l ou r. 3 Reupho ls te r ing a sea t cove r i s p robab ly the eas ies t way to f reshen up a worn cha i r. 4 Th i s l ove l y d in ing ro om combines s imp le e legence w i th a re t ro v ibe 5 bored o f b land g rey and taupe so fas? Tr y a un ique hue , l i ke p ink !

Neils Crains

DESIGNER SHOWCASE

WHAT: UPCYCLING DESIGNERLOCATION: AMSTERDAM , NLMOTO: “ENJOY TWICE”Niels Craens is a graphic designer that has completed extensive

research into the advantages and disadvantages of cardboard drinking

packages. In response to his findings, he created the ingenious lamp

“Enjoy Twice”.

For Niels Craens, this is an interesting problem as a designer to take a

swing at. The words “Enjoy Twice” shine through the packages that lack

aluminium. This makes the text only legible when the lamp is switched

on. With this design, he gives an environmental negative a positive twist.

This approach can be applied on many other aspects as well. Why go to

Ikea when you can personalize your own furniture? Not only does it save

money, it saves the environment as well

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Resources To Rely On

By Design Modern bydesignmodern.comFullhouse Consigment fullhouseconsign.comThe Fabulous Fine thefabulousfind.caMid Century Modern Home midcenturymodern.ca

G.U.F.F. guffonline.comMorba Designs morbadesigns.caSilver Falls Vintage silverfallsvintage.com/Thrift Town thrifttown.ca

Junktiques Ltd. junktiques.comPretty Little Things prettylittlethings.caMid Century Dweller midcenturydweller.comConsignment Gallery consigmentgaller.ca

Cité Déco citedecomeubles.caMontéal Moderne montrealmoderne.comAntiqués Curiosités antiquescuriosites.ca Jack’s jacks70.com

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