Upcycling & Interior Design
We're entering a time of year when we're likely to consume more, both because of the winter season and because of the arrival of the festive season. So we've decided to bring you this article for DIY enthusiasts and, above all, for anyone who wants to save money and energy!
Upcycling interior design
Credits: déco .fr / Audrey C.
Definition, What is Upcycling?
This is an English term that can be translated into French as "Surcyclage". It consists of giving a second life to a broken or damaged product that is no longer usable in its original state but still contains valuable parts. The prefix "Up" indicates that this process adds value to the object by pulling it up. We take a product and reinvent it. We make it unique by recycling it in the best possible way. This is why it differs from traditional recycling, which transforms the object into a good of inferior or at best equivalent quality.
The term has only recently come into use, as the concept is gradually gaining ground in line with the environmental issues that have been highlighted in recent years. But there's nothing new about it, as previous generations were already resigned to throwing things away.
Origins of Upcycling
Africans are at the origin of this concept. They are the first to have taken this initiative, due to a lack of financial resources and limited access to consumer goods. As a continent with limited resources, we know that a lot of our clothing and electronic waste is sent there.
(And yes, we are paying a country to take in our waste so that we can play the ostrich a little more).
So they have developed a certain inventiveness and technical skills to make a variety of unusual objects, such as shoes from used tyres, carpets from scraps of fabric in different colours, etc.
The Berber carpet from Morocco is proof of this, as it has become an integral part of interior design trends.
Photos of our visit at berbère
Cred Photos : Studio Bisson
Some articles also mention Cyrus and Océan Sole, based in Kenya.
Portrait of Cyrus & other decoration objects
Credits : Another man mag - Smac gallery
Cyrus is a self-taught visual artist who mainly makes masks and decorative elements from electronic parts.
Steps of Conception of Ocean Sole
Credits : France tv info - Nic &Mic
Océan Sole specialises in making animal structures from the mainly plastic flip-flops that have washed up on beaches by the thousands.
Upcycling, A way of life
Upcycling is not just a trend, it's a way of life, a way of thinking and a way of being creative. It's an art that you can't learn at school (unless you've been to a 'free school' that encourages imagination and independence). It is the fruit of personal, imaginative research.
When you have a broken coffee table, for example, think Upcycling before you throw it away. You need to take the time to think about what can be repaired or what you can do with the reusable parts. You need to analyse the object piece by piece. The round part of the table could become a tray and the table legs fixed to the walls could be used as coat hooks.
Where to find Upcycling items?
Most of the time, the main object you're going to transform comes from your home or a relative's attic or garage. If that's not the case, all you have to do is take a walk in nature, in the street, at a rubbish tip or bulky goods collection centre. You can also take a stroll around a garage sale, or go and help move your grandparents' house. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.
Trash transformed into art by Bordalo ii
Credits: Instagram / @b0rdalo_ii
And who knows, maybe you'll come across Bordalo's colourful works on a Lisbon street bend ii to inspire your future artistic creations.
Artworks of @b0rdalo_ii
Crédits Photos : Instagram /@b0rdalo_ii - Pinterest / Maria ⊰
Upcycling, an ecological Concept
It is obvious that Upcycling today is ecological, it insists on fighting against waste and slowing down production. It has a greater impact than recycling because it reuses the existing raw material, modifying it and consuming less, with little (or even without) water, energy and chemicals (paradoxically polluting processes in traditional recycling) .
Circular economy explained
Credits : activer économie circulaire
Fashion and interior decoration: sectors particularly affected by upcycling
Fashion and the textile industry are among the sectors that pollute the most, generating a large number of greenhouse gases. In 2016, a number of industry professionals concerned about the urgent need to protect the environment launched the Anti-fast fashion project, which aims to raise awareness among consumers and industry players of the need for a more responsible approach to fashion.
As far as designers and architects are concerned, it's important that at a time when over-consumption is being called into question, we focus on sustainable, recycled or artisanal creations. Tomorrow's design is circular, and upcycling is a way of aiming for zero waste and trying to close the loop.
In 2015, the Chambres de Métiers et de l'Artisanat d'Île-de-France promoted Upcycling to the general public, through video clips produced in the homes of craftspeople. The aim of this promotion was to change people's perception of used objects by putting craftwork in the spotlight.
Vidéo of Besart about Upcycling
Credits : Chambres de Métiers et de l’Artisanat d’Île-de-France
In the same year, the architects Encore Heureux were asked to design a building to house COP21, a circular pavilion delivered to the forecourt of the town hall with a facade made entirely of old wooden doors to promote reuseIn the same year, the architects Encore Heureux were asked to design a building to house COP21, a circular pavilion delivered to the forecourt of the town hall with a facade made entirely of old wooden doors to promote reuse.
Conception of the circular Pavillon
Credits : D’architecture Magazine - Huffington post
Architecture firms such as Indian Design Work Group- DWG specialise in ecology and use UpCycling for projects such as Peacock Technology.
Projet Peacock Technology.
Credits : Design Work Group
We also discovered this freelancer, Alina Turdean, who designs works and spaces using upcycling techniques. Like this space with a host of revisited bicycle parts
Project Bicicleta
Credit : Alina Turdean
More and more towns and cities are opting to rehabilitate old buildings instead of demolishing them and converting them into new space.
Even furniture sales sites such as selency, Smithers of Stamford ou made.com are making this their objective: to make the best use of eco-responsible sourcing, design and packaging by encouraging recycling. "For home furniture that is well thought-out and more environmentally friendly".
The different decorating styles that work with upcycling
Upcycling Interior
Credits : Pinterest / Nadine Devaud - Christa Salinas - We hear it - Shake my blog
> Industrial style with the transformation of metal-based objects into lighting and furniture.
> Ethical & Bohemian style with colourful rugs, dreamcatchers of all kinds, suitcases as wall shelves or wardrobe units, and large sofas made from old pallets covered with cushions and cocoon mattresses.
> Raw/Rustic style, where natural materials are exposed and showcased in your interior, giving your decor its own personality.
But Upcycling is adaptable to your own interior style and allows you to give your own identity to the object and to your decoration.
Bonus : our tips for the Holidays!
Advent calendendar Upcycling
Credits : Pinterest/ Du Reves dans les Etoiles
In this month of December, we had to give you a few tips dedicated to Christmas decorations.
The first thing to do is get out your old decorations and sort through them. The idea is to bring them up to date by embellishing them with new little things from the bottom of your drawers (paints, buttons, beads, scraps of paper and fabric, cords, etc.).
Light bulbs covered with a can of gold paint can become delightful Christmas decorations. You can also make your own with felt scraps: simply cut them to the shape of your choice in 2 pieces, fill them with cotton and sew them all around.
For handmade Christmas garlands, you can make them from an accumulation of beads of different sizes and dried elements (strips of baked orange, cinnamon, aniseed stars, etc.).
The Christmas tree is a must-have that can be reproduced in lots of different ways by Upcycling, using wooden branches or pallet boards. It's also a great way to reuse and reconfigure your tree every year.
Make decorative frames from old wooden shutters to create an original rectangular wreath.
The advent calendar can be made from toilet paper or kitchen roll to form little pouches.
You can decorate the table with candleholders in recycled pots, personalised with a little string or something else.
Idées de décorations de Noël Upcycling
Credits : Le Blog d’Artlex - Eileen Beuchet - Events By Hailey - My Blog Déco - Augre des balades - Trucs et Bricolages - Sophie - L’esprit vient en jouant - Gousses 2 vanille - Cocon de Décoration - C Tendance - Eco Peinture
At Studio Bison, we value minimalism but Christmas interior decoration can be an exception, so indulge in DIY pleasure.
Rather than wrapping Christmas presents with wrapping paper, opt for reusable fabric or clothing that is not too scratchy, a good way for everyone to recognize their gift based on the clothing used.
And voila! 2 in 1! We remove labels in everyone's name!
Gift wrapping - Upcycling
Credits : Pinterest/ deavita.fr
To conclude
Upcycling, as you have seen, has the advantage of being able to be practiced anywhere and by anyone.
You just need a little willpower, inspiration and time. Join the movement with the aim of raising awareness of the ecological impacts of our consumption patterns, in the desire for unique decoration. For an entire universe of creative works :)
I would end with 2 quotes which could be the motto of Upcycling: “the misfortune of one makes the happiness of others” which translated into English gives
“One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” & “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed”.
