Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/792909
22 BCA A .COM SPRING 2017 Tracey Ayton Photography Trendy and thrifty Design blogger Judy Rom, co-founder of Upcycle That (upcyclethat.com), inspires her readers to reuse items in creative new ways by offering upcycling ideas, examples and tutorials from around the world. "It's cool to repurpose," says Rom. "People like it because it's green, trendy, design-focused and thrifty." Reimagining waste, old furniture, jewellery, art and decor also gives each item an interesting story, says Rom. Upcycled items are often reused cleverly, offering a second life and function. One example is discarded wooden pallets, now popular for reconstructing into furnishings and accents. If wholesale repurposing sounds too ambitious, there is also "upstyling" – or refinishing an item to make it more attractive, but still using it for its original purpose (think repainting a battered buffet into a glossy masterpiece and adding crystal hardware). Style mixing for the win Kari Frazer, owner of ReLoving Furniture in Victoria, specializes in finding and creating customized restyled items, and offers classes for customers who want to learn how to do it themselves. Repurposed items go hand-in- hand with hip design schemes, she says. "Combine upstyled furniture with some cleverly repurposed vintage items, like mason jars or crates, and you have a space with interest and depth – like a series of stories in the room," says Frazer. Upcycled decor can be used to set the tone for an entire room or living space (as in industrial chic and farmhouse styles, which are so popular right now). Or, pieces may simply be introduced to punch up an existing, more neutral, style. "A shabby chic painted piece can add artistry and glamour or, depending on the piece, a feeling of casualness and comfort," says Frazer. "Pieces can also be painted with a sleek, modern finish, lending a contemporary, urban feeling to the space." Upcycled gems (clockwise from right): vintage iron shelving and books play off modern cushions, adding interest to an otherwise spartan decor; salvaged shelving holds mason jars turned into organizers and candle holders; retro filing cabinets make stylish storage; old pipes lend industrial chic as kitchen shelf brackets. HOME upcycling