Homes & Gardens Vive la difference


How can you tell recycling and upcycling apart? Expert Claire Rickner takes you through the subtle and not-so-subtle differences…


I


t was the great arts and craſts pioneer William Morris who nailed the secret of good sustainable interior design with his famous quote: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”


So what is upcyling, as opposed to recycling? Put simply, upcycling is taking something no longer wanted, useful (or just worn out) and breaking it down to be remade into a new version of the original product, repaired and improved aesthetically or repurposed as something completely different. Therefore, upcycling


falls under the


repaired/improved/repurposed process, with the important part being that the new product is of more value than it was in its original state once upcycled, hence the “up” part. Sustainability is a hot topic these days and rightly so. Most customers hate the waste of quality materials heading to landfill to be replaced with cheap alternatives because of changing style trends.


The good news is that now more of us recognise older pieces of furniture, and other quality materials can be kept in play with a


litle bit of time and imagination. Te concept behind my business is to provide interior design services along with giſts and accessories that support a more sustainable lifestyle. I believe there is a move towards a new type of consumerism, a more considered way of shopping and spending our hard-earned money. The boring mass-produced items that are so cheap and easily accessible are becoming less appealing as we seek out quality and uniqueness over quantity, less is most definitely more and I like to call it KINDa consumerism.


The gifts and accessories are carefully sourced to find different and interesting products that are either fair trade, eco-friendly - check out the fab new plastic free range – upcycled, locally sourced or natural products. When you buy a giſt from TUT Co. you


can feel confident that you “thought before you bought” (I pinched that line from one of my suppliers of exquisite recycled aluminium tableware – Tilnar Art). Many of the products are supplied by local artisans and upcyclers, which provides a wonderful, collaborative element and a nice mix of styles.


LET US TRANSFORM YOUR HOME IN AN INSTANT BY SIMPLY UPDATING YOUR CURTAINS AND BLINDS!


Te interiors side of Claire’s business is very much focused on accepting furniture upcycling commissions, supplying chalk and mineral furniture paint for customers to carry out their own projects, and providing eco-friendly wallpaper, paint and fabric. Workshops are held on a Wednesday from September to May, for anyone interested in taking up a new hobby or just enjoying a fun few hours doing something creative.


Currently she teaches a 3 Techniques furniture painting workshop and another where you can bring along your own project. Go to www.tutco.co.uk, Facebook @tutcoLenham and Instagram @tut_co.


Claire Rickner is the owner of the Te Upcycled Trading Company at The Corner House in Lenham village.


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Call us today for a Free no obligation quotation! Unit 2, The Oast, Clockhouse Farm, Coxheath ME17 4PB 01622 744265


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