In an age when sustainability is becoming increasingly important, more people are finding joy — and financial reward — in decorating their properties with second-hand furniture and homewares. Niamh Hogan, who lives in a 100-year-old cottage in Wexford with her husband, Paul, their 15-year-old daughter, Bella and their dog, Jessie, is a keen upcycler.
“We have several large pieces from the homes of our grandparents and my mum, including our dining table and a cabinet made of old tea chests, which we didn’t upcycle as we loved them the way they are,” she says. “I have a Queen Victoria chair and a cabinet from my mum’s house and several pieces from my nana’s, which Bella and I upcycled.
“I also have brass candlesticks, an old clock, silver tea sets, china teapots, a decanter and an amazing antique vase that cost my nana a fortune in the 1970s. I adore it. Aside from these, I love to pick up little things in antiques stores, such as cutlery, glasses and jugs — things that will get used but don’t take up loads of space. I try to limit purchases to things that we will use, but will also look good on a shelf when not in use.”
Hogan, who runs a skincare business, loves to pair old items with vibrant new pieces to create a contrast. She doesn’t claim to be an expert restorer, but says the process can be fun. “All you need is chalk paint, a can of gold spray paint, some sandpaper, and a hammer and nails to fix broken bits. Bella likes to turn her hand to adding some adhesive paper and patterned contrast, and did a great job with old apple crates that were falling apart — she fixed them up and added a light coat of chalk paint and they are now used as bookshelves in her room.
“I get so much joy from seeing new life in something by just placing it in a new setting or seeing its vibrancy emerge with a lick of paint. Also, having pieces that belonged to loved ones is a great way to hold on to their memory.”
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Apart from saving money, Hogan says the most important aspect for her is reducing waste. “The western world has too many things, many of which end up in landfill after people get bored with them.”
Vanessa Scott-Hayward is also an avid recycler. As a designer, she is naturally creative and the studio that houses her business is filled with salvaged and repurposed items. Her thrifty nature can also be seen in the semi-detached home she rents in Maynooth, Co Kildare.
“I think my love of vintage and reclaimed items came from a practical point of view, as when I started my business I had no money,” she says. Her father, a furniture designer, taught her the skills to do much of the work. “I also took the time to learn along the way. I love the achievement of re-using something and the character it gives my studio and my home. I also love how old furniture has a story to it, as it had been thrown away but has been given a new lease of life.”
Scott-Hayward has become far more conscious of how much we over-consume so she tries to reduce and reuse what she already has. “I have a lot of recycled items in my studio and, in the house, I have a coffee table that I found in a skip — the top had broken so I made another one and inserted a vintage map into it, then lacquered it to keep it from wearing,” she says.
“I also have two pieces of old furniture I inherited from family — a bookcase and drinks cabinet. Both had yellowed lacquer on them, so I stripped it all back and fixed the damage that had happened over the years. Then I put a piece of old mirror at the back of the drinks cabinet to reflect the glasses, and painted the interior. The bookshelves were repurposed and, over lockdown, I made quite a few storage units for my kitchen using offcuts from other projects.”
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Fellow upcycler Wayne Lawlor says his semi-detached house in Donnybrook, Dublin, is full of items he has found in charity shops. He enjoys the whole process, from finding a good piece to restoring it to its former glory.
“I collect candelabras, which I find in charity shops, repolish and bring back to life,” says Lawlor, who works in sales and marketing. “I also have a gold-plated lamp, which I bought for €12.50, cleaned up with a special cleaning product and got a new lampshade — it looks as good as new.
“I purchased a golden, Italian carved mirror that was badly damaged, with chunks missing from the frame, so I put putty into the missing spaces and repainted them the same colour.
“And I have a lovely cast-iron headboard that I bought on Facebook for €30 and repainted.
“Not only is recycling good for the environment, but I think these pieces are also timeless and so full of character. Most modern houses are all the same these days, so I love nothing more than polishing and cleaning the things I salvage and finding a space for them in the house. My friends sometimes think it is clutter, but one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure.”
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For anyone interested in taking on their own upcyling project, Scott-Hayward advises taking the time to do the job properly. “Remember that DIY can take time, so don’t rush through a project — try to enjoy the process,” she says. “You will make mistakes, have setbacks and things will take longer than you think, but embrace it. It will be worth it in the end.
“Put in the work. A fresh coat of paint can indeed work miracles, but I always think it is worth putting in the extra prep time to get a professional look. Strip off old varnishes, sand down surfaces and use an undercoat. It is so worth the extra effort. Start small, particularly if you have never done a recycling job before, so you can get that feeling of success first time around.”
Hogan says anyone browsing charity and antiques shops for upcycling projects should look for things they would use in their homes. “Whenever you shop, you should ask yourself, do I actually need this and will I use it?
“Equally, if you don’t like a piece of your own furniture, rather than throw it away, get onto Pinterest and look up upcycling ideas for pieces similar to yours.
“If you don’t want to do that, take it to your local charity or antiques store so that someone like me can find it and make use of it. Old stuff doesn’t have to be dirty or dusty; it can be glamourous and beautiful when given love and care and the right setting.
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“I love stuff, but I also love to be as sustainable as possible, and I can do both by committing to upcycling and re-using and shopping in charity and antiques stores — it covers all of my passions.”