The Magic of Upcycling
Updated: Aug 21, 2023
And where to find the gems.
As the cost of living continues to soar, many are forced to rethink the way they do things. Activities, holidays, things we used to consider essentials, may not be considered essential anymore.
It’s a time to economise, pull in the purse strings, tighten the belt and ultimately live more frugally. And I have to say, I enjoy rising to that challenge.
But before I go any further, I want to acknowledge those in real financial hardship. People are living on or under the poverty line in difficult, stressful situations. It's not my intention make light of their plight, I feel empathy for the suffering of my fellow mankind.
So I want to talk about one way we can do our bit, where we can stretch our dollar further, decrease wastage and save money (and the planet.) One way is by repurposing or upcycling items that will potentially be discarded and buried in landfill. I'm striving to live the principles of a Circular Economy. For those that aren't quite sure what that means, it's 'a sustainable framework that designs out waste, reuses materials for as long as possible, reimagines products and reinvigorates communities to tackle climate change and preserve our environment'. There's so much we can do to preserve our precious resources, directly and indirectly. And just because we're building a new house, doesn't mean we can't uphold these principles in as many ways as possible.
We’ve been looking at how we can use second hand materials in our build and what might lend itself to being repurposed or upcycled. Bathroom vanities are one thing we’ve agreed on and recently we’ve found two complete gems.
Below is the first one we found. A custom made solid timber vanity found on Marketplace for a cool $250. This vanity would have cost thousands! With a good sand, new stone (or similar) benchtop and new bowl and tapware, we’ll still come in way under the cost of a new one and we'll have something really beautiful which will add character and originality to our home. Then there's the joy we'll get upcycling something that may have ended up in landfill or in someone’s garage for the next 10 years!
We’re always on the lookout for potential pieces that we can transform. After a while you get
good at spotting the ideal criteria and if the price is right, we pounce on it! We found this stunning blanket box the other day. Made of hardwood similar to or the same as our first vanity purchase. With a little bit of creativity, we will transform it into a beautiful timber vanity for our ensuite.
So where do we source these items? Well, I’m wanting to share the love with you today.
I’ve put together a list of my favs, some that I use a lot and some that we'll potentially use in the future.
My favourite places are:
1 - Facebook Marketplace.
My number one go to place. The ease of shopping from the comfort of my couch is addictive.
There are also pages like:
FreeCycle Bellarine, Victoria
Geelong Free Furniture
Geelong Recycle - free items only
Zero Waste Geelong Freebies
Free Free Free Geelong
And the list goes on!
2 – The Recycle Warehouse.
Situated in North Geelong, this place has a bargain section down the back and it's full of treasures. Their range of mid-century furniture is impressive and priced accordingly.
3 – Op shops.
Op shops don’t seem to sell as much furniture as they used to but it’s still work keeping an eye out for asuitable piece. My favourites are Vinnies and The Salvos but there's so many worthy ones around.
4 – The Restorers Barn.
Offering a plethora of second-hand building materials, windows, doors, and thousands of household items including vintage light fittings and even toilets! (think we'll get a new one of those though! :)
5 – Timber Zoo.
Timber zoo is a timber warehouse specialising in recycled Australian native hardwood.
6 – The Junk Map.
The Junk Map is a website that brings together salvage and recycling businesses all over Victoria and interstate. A wealth of information.
7 – Fowles Auctions & Sales.
This auction house is on our radar because it is specifically for anything to do with the home. Flooring, building materials, furniture and the list goes on. You can view items before the auction day, place absentee bids and all items are sold unreserved. There is incredible oportunities for savings here.
8 - Council Pick up.
The potential in someone else's trash is undeniable. I've found some amazing things on the side of the road and I'm always on the look out for fabulous free finds! :)
There’s so many others that deserve to be on this list but we've gotta stop somewhere!
I hope that this post has inspired you in some way, somehow, to look at waste or something you may have been discarding in a different light. With a little elbow grease and creativity, transformation is incredibly rewarding.
Regarding any other possible news...we don't have any unfortunately...6 months down the track and we're STILL waiting for that day!
Good things are worth waiting for hey...
Bye for now,
Nat x
Another well written and engaging post my love, its such a wonderfull way of documenting and sharing our build journey :) xox