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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that a lot of 'upcycling' is bollocks?

193 replies

thereareflowersinmygarden · 09/09/2018 15:05

Lots of it on Facebook selling sites.

People get a lovely old, wooden piece of furniture, slap some white paint on it and think they've actually done a good thing. Often, they've taken a beautiful 1930's walnut sideboard or such like, and vandalised it.

Just why? Why can't these people get a useful hobby?

OP posts:
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6
rosamore · 09/09/2018 17:13

My grandmother has been "up cycling" her entire life. It's been her only form of income, ever, but she is an absolute magician. She can find a desk in a skip and restore it to true beauty (sometimes finding new legs, changing the knobs on drawers, etc). She has a real eye for it and makes a killing these days. She started doing it just to furnish her house, originally, as they couldn't afford to buy anything so took anything they could get for free. I've tried but just don't have the vision, my attempts look like every other Jane's on Facebook.

Shabby chic/distressing furniture is pure vandalism I agree. It might increase an item in value short term, but make it worthless in the long run.

Togaandsandals · 09/09/2018 17:16

Yikes that shabby chic cupboard is grim. I admit though, bar the wire netting, I prefer the after pic for the second photo. I think I don’t belong in this thread 😊

ProfessorMoody · 09/09/2018 17:19

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labazs · 09/09/2018 17:23

latest is that woman who goes round council tips well excuse me but every council tip i know of forbids you to have anything from the skips even if you beg and plead so whats the use of it? half of what she makes looks rubbish too

iklboo · 09/09/2018 17:26

@labazs - like this you mean? Grin

To think that a lot of 'upcycling' is bollocks?
Finfintytint · 09/09/2018 17:37

I think there is inverted snobbery attached to this thread. Faux histeria at " vandalising" functional furniture. You do what makes you happy and make use of stuff that fits in with your style. If you want to paint something to make it fit in with your decor, then fine, go ahead and do it . People have been adapting and modifying furniture for centuries and it is a bit " common " to pretend they haven't. In the eighties my mum stripped and waxed furniture " vandalised " by those in the fifties and sixties but is now painting the same stuff according to taste.

Do what makes you happy and ignore the snotty few.

FlyingMonkeys · 09/09/2018 17:41

Each to their own really. I have an orange pine bedroom set I'd love to paint, but won't as I'd make an absolute arse of it! The furniture set that I'd love to replace it with is pretty much exactly the same set but white and to the tune of £800... I wish I was braver (in any way artistic) with a paint brush.

I doubt anyone's slapping paint over antiques worth thousands though. No one's that daft.

ICantBelieveIDidThis · 09/09/2018 17:42

@Finfintytint, I'm not sure that's what's being complained about.

It's the ones who are putting this shite up for sale expecting actual profit, that's the problem.

What anyone has in their own home is up to them.

Inflicting it on someone else?

Well.....

labazs · 09/09/2018 17:46

iklboo thats the one comes up with some stupid ideas

ProfessorMoody · 09/09/2018 17:47

It's not inflicting it on someone else though is it, if they want to buy it? The piece I sold was to someone who wanted one but couldn't do it herself. What's the problem with that? I painted it for myself, it wouldn't fit in my new bungalow, I put it on Facebook to see if anyone else wanted it and they did. She's since messaged to tell me how all her friends love it and she's very happy.

How is that a bad thing? How does it effect you?

Finfintytint · 09/09/2018 17:50

I think if someone wants to provide painted furniture on FB and someone else cannot do it themselves for whatever reason then crack on.

Pamdoo · 09/09/2018 17:53

I'm narcissistic because I think people should stop being cunts and let others enjoy and like what they want to like without slagging it off on Mumsnet?

Maybe if you're so easily upset by what people chose to post because you disagree, you shouldn't be on mumsnet. Where's the line drawn? Is it ok to post that I don't like my MIL and everyone can join in but not ok to post about furniture in case someone has it in their home?

I think I've now literally seen it all, people offended on behalf of their annie Sloan dressers.

FlyingMonkeys · 09/09/2018 17:54

Oh and as for the 1930s pieces. I sold my GM's solid walnut 4 piece bedroom set 15yrs ago for less than £100 when we cleared her house. She no longer wanted it, I didn't want it and nobody really buys these items in the way that they did previously. Fashions change and most new houses can't display these items in the way they used to. It's great they didn't go to a landfill though. The American market used to be pretty hot on them, but it's not been the case for some years.

Finfintytint · 09/09/2018 17:56

I think if someone wants to provide painted furniture on FB and someone else cannot do it themselves for whatever reason then crack on.

Finfintytint · 09/09/2018 17:57

Oops, posted twice.

Original poster
thereareflowersinmygarden · 09/09/2018 18:11

This why I love MN. Mad as a box of frogs...

I'd love a mid century bedroom set- in dark wood.

It's getting increasingly difficult to find then without the shabby shite chalk paint alll over them. In fifty years time there will be presenters on Antiques Road show getting excited to find one that survived the shabby shite fad.

OP posts:
ineedtostopbeingsolazy · 09/09/2018 18:13

I had a orange pine small sideboard which was perfect for the space I had. I wanted the same type of thing but in a different wood or colour but there wasn't anything suitable so I painted it white.
It looks fabulous and I saved myself a load of money.

But I hate the distressed look it looks shit.

mimibunz · 09/09/2018 18:15

Lots of people have happily confessed to liking painted furniture and painting it themselves without getting angry. These threads are meant to be fairly light.

mimibunz · 09/09/2018 18:17

In any event, mea culpa, Professor Moody. Grin

ProfessorMoody · 09/09/2018 18:20

I'm not angry, nor offended. Personally, I like wood furniture and nicely done painted furniture. I couldn't give a shiny shit what someone else has in their own home as it isn't my home.

What does annoy me is people looking down on others for their likes, taste, hobbies etc. It's happening now all too often on Mumsnet and it's just not a very nice thing to do. People like different stuff, get over it.

Original poster
thereareflowersinmygarden · 09/09/2018 18:20

You're not offended????!!!!

GrinGrinGrin

OP posts:
FlyingMonkeys · 09/09/2018 18:22

Have a look on eBay OP it's absolutely stowed out with them. I think it's just sensible to bear in mind that just because items are 'old' doesn't necessarily mean they are 'antique, vintage, valuable'. The 1930's furniture was the mass production of its time. Unless an item was by a 'known designer' then it's actually less valuable today than it was on the date it was manufactured.

thereareflowersinmygarden · 09/09/2018 18:23

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Original poster
thereareflowersinmygarden · 09/09/2018 18:24

Oh I know what the stuff is- mass produced for working families. That was the beauty of it.

OP posts:
Finfintytint · 09/09/2018 18:28

And the Beauty is you can do whatever it takes to make it yours. No rules. No snobbery .