WE SAVED THOUSANDS UPCYCLING FURNITURE
ACOUPLE who have “saved hundreds, if not thousands of pounds”, are sharing their tips on how to upcycle furniture instead of buying everything new. Ali and Joe Friedlein have visited Newport regularly for the last 40 years, and in early 2023 they purchased their first property there.
But while working to renovate their new home, they were keen to save as much money as possible – and have transformed their new pad into a swanky second-hand haven. Not only did they save money, but also built connections within the upcycling community, and have experienced some heart-warming moments.
Recalling one encounter, Ali noted: “Another lady was moving house and I bought a chair and bureau from her. She said the vintage blanket had always lived on the bureau and belonged to her Welsh grandparents. She wanted me to have it to take it back to Wales!”
The couple believe that anyone can upcycle, and have broken down exactly how they have created such a warm-feeling home while using second-hand furniture. And platforms like Facebook Marketplace, eBay and second-hand shop have become their new best friends.
To furnish their new home, Ali and Joe managed to upcycle their own bedside tables, drawers, a desk, a dresser, a console table, chairs, a bureau and a dining table which they believe has helped them to “save thousands”.
Ali said: “I literally hung out on Facebook Marketplace every day and waited for the right things to come up for sale. In some ways it was lucky that it took the best part of six months to complete on the property because it gave me a good window to find and buy the right furniture.
“If we were going to visit friends or family, I would always reset the map to see if there was anything in their area that might be useful too. I also got lucky with a visit to my local hospice shop and picked up a few items there. We have literally saved hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, in total by being clever with what we bought.”
By scouring online sites, they even found some items for the price of a cup of coffee. Ali added: “The cheapest item I bought was a chair for £5. Bedside tables ranged from £10 to £20 each. A pair of pine carver chairs were £25, and I think the most expensive item was a wide set of drawers for a bedroom at £60.”
Considering what advice she would give people wanting to get into upcycling furniture, Ali said: “You can upcycle smaller pieces quite quickly; it can literally be a weekend project. Make sure you know the size of your car boot. I had an aborted mission to pick up a desk at one point as it was just an inch too big to fit in the car.
“When people are selling furniture, they are often having a good clearout and so have other pieces for sale that they haven’t got around to listing or were even thinking about taking to the tip. I managed to pick up multiple pieces from the same seller by asking if they were getting rid of anything else, which benefited both of us.”
“Be patient with drying times, particularly if you’re painting in winter. We bought a relatively expensive sander but didn’t regret it for one moment. Having dust extraction saves hours of cleaning up afterwards and a good sander gives a better finish.”
One company a lot of upcyclers use is Toolstation. Cara Yates, painting and decorating senior category manager, offered a few tips.
On how to remove rust from metal, she said: “Rust remover is inexpensive and can be used on a range of metals, including steel, iron, brass, copper and bronze. In a pinch, you can also use white vinegar or a paste of baking soda and water to remove rust, leaving it to soak for at least four hours before scrubbing away. However you remove the rust, be sure to follow with a rust converter to protect the metal from future rusting by forming a protective barrier.”
And when asked how to remove paint from varnished wood, she added: “A paint stripper is your best friend when removing old paint or varnish. After lightly sanding the area, apply maximum strength paint stripper with a brush or flat-bladed tool. Let the stripper sit until you notice the paint starting to blister or flake. Then, use a stripping knife to gently remove the layers of paint or varnish. You can find more detailed instructions on how to remove paint and varnish from wood in our guide.”
And it turns out there is no specific paint that is the best kind, according to Cara, who said: “A range of wood paints are specially formulated for wooden surfaces. These can be used on all sorts of wood projects, from shelving to outdoor furniture.”
Responding to how people could repair water damage on wooden furniture, and how to fix chipped or cracked wood, she added: “To repair water damage on wooden furniture, make sure the wood is as dry as possible. Next, a chisel is used to remove the water-damaged areas, followed by a wood filler to fill in the gaps. Let the filler dry, then sand and apply your finish of choice.
“To fix chipped or cracked wood, apply a wood filler using a putty knife. Wood filler works well for small cracks, and epoxy is better for larger areas of damage. Let the filler dry, then sand the area smooth before painting or varnishing.”