"upcycling" is quite a buzzword nowadays. it is often misused - but i like this definition from sara, over at girlscantell, "upcycling is about raising the use of an item, taking something that
was used and about to be disposed and making it inherently more useful
or valuable than it was originally intended to be."
reFind furniture is the definition of upcycling. each of the pieces above, and many, many more on the main site, are created from the 4.5 million pounds of discarded building materials collected by the reBuilding center every year.
reFind's principles, in their own words:
Value-added.
ReFind Furniture is functional, artistic merchandise made of what had been considered solid waste-short pieces of 100-year-old lumber, paint-coated strips of detailed trim, discarded cabinet drawers, weathered old window sashes and an eclectic mix of hardware and other items.
Reuse.
At least 99% of the materials used to build each ReFind Furniture item have been reclaimed. ReFind Furniture will divert and reuse tons of construction and demolition waste.
History.
ReFind items are created with materials from our region's architectural past. To the extent possible, we attach narratives describing the content and history of each piece.
Affordable.
Our goal is to promote a variety of uses for reclaimed building materials throughout all sectors of our community. We're committed to creating livable-wage jobs, providing hands-on training opportunities, covering our production costs and making ReFind products as affordable as possible.
Functional.
Not only is each ReFind piece artistic, it also serves a purpose. Take a load off on a ReFind bench, enjoy your lunch at a ReFind table, hang your jacket on a ReFind coat rack, or display your favorite family photo in a ReFind picture frame.
reFind & the reBuilding center are located in portland, oregon. for more information, check out the reBuilding center website.
thanks to corinna, from piddix, for the tip on reFind! if you know of an indie organization or business creating amazing art & giving back to the community, please let me know! i'll give you a shout out for the tip.
