Upcycling

I am so passionate about upcycling. According to wikipedia, upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

I've recently added to my family room 2 new black, tufted leather sofas. One is a true 3-seater sofa and the other is a 3-seater chaise. My kids are loving being sprawled on the new furniture. As I was putting the room together, I wanted a comfortable mix of many things. New pieces, upcycled lamps, photos of my family, and a modern, cool tv bench to store the dvds and online gaming equipment that is used in our home.

As I look through the room, I'm content with the final mix. Many of the table lamps and the floor lamps are thrift store makeovers (a can of spray paint goes a long way at my house!) and the traditional oval wood coffee table with the scrolled, curved legs was a curbside find. Sprayed high gloss white it is now the star of the room. New down-filled throw pillows bring a graphic punch to the room. The old tv bench has been re-purposed as a sort of side board that is a place to eat snacks and for my kids to complete their homework on. And we're all set.

I try to always look at discarded items for any other unintended purpose that they may serve. Whether I'm tossing an item, whether I drive by and an interesting piece is sitting at the curbside, or I spy something at a thrift store. What's that old phrase? "One person's rubbish is another person's treasure!"