During the half-term break we took a long overdue trip to France to visit my Dad. But with all the attention on climate change and COP26 dominating the news, I wondered just how much our mini-holiday would actually cost the planet. I have broken down the research into the following sections: Air travelCar travelCovid implicationsHow… Continue reading The Carbon Footprint of our Trip to France
Every October, people all over the world show their support for everyone affected by breast cancer. Breast cancer is not a nice topic to feature in a blog post. However, I have personal reasons for doing just that; some of which have a happy ending and some of which do not. Upcycle Arcade is supporting… Continue reading Breast Cancer Awareness Month: October 2021
I LOVE new things. Not necessarily in a materialistic fashion, but the gleaming, room transforming change of new. I love new things; things that are new to ME. A piece of furniture is very often a small permanent fixture; sometimes it has always been there through countless generations. But then suddenly sentimentality looses out to… Continue reading Is OLD the new NEW?
Last weekend saw 85 upcyclers descend on a country estate in Hertfordshire for the very first UK conference dedicated to furniture painters. It was an opportunity to meet like-minded people and wax lyrical about furniture upcycling, knowing that your audience will not simply nod in polite acquiesce. The aim was to equip the attendees with… Continue reading Painters Business Academy 2021 for Professional Furniture Upcyclers
Sustainable beautiful painted furniture for the conscious shopper - a UK based furniture shop with a conscience. US based Etsy has been a long-term go to for those wishing to furnish their homes with bespoke quality upcycled pieces of furniture. Its reach is wide and I have sold over 60 items to date on this… Continue reading Conscious Cubby: The new UK online shop just for furniture upcyclers
At Upcycle Arcade HQ, since becoming a full-time furniture upcycler - I say full-time very loosely - I have been able to spend much more time indulging in one of my increasingly important hobbies: gardening. I say this as I find complete tranquility and calm in tinkering about in my area of paradise. Gardening for… Continue reading Cottagecore – A Quintessential English Country Garden
To falsely give the impression that a company’s products and services provide greater environmental or ‘green’ benefits than is actually the case. Mistrust, distrust and inherent suspicions can wreak havoc on well laid plans be they for production or marketing purposes. But are these feelings justified? After a long career in financial services, I have… Continue reading Greenwashing
The Almanac: A seasonal guide to the year; a celebration of the unfolding 12 months. Moon phases, sunrises and sunsets, time and tides plus the night sky, astronomical and meteorological. It shares gardening tips (gardening by moonlight anyone?) ancient recipes as well as folklore and nature. I am an Almanac newbie, mine being a Christmas… Continue reading Earth Day and The Almanac 2021
Furniture is more than functional and practical; it is a product of design, a work of art. During my own upcycle journey, certain brands - some well known, others less so - have graced my workshop. Here I have looked into each brand a little more deeply plus plagiarised a touch from other sites and… Continue reading A potted history of popular furniture brands to upcycle
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