NEW YORK — Upcycling goes far beyond recycling; it takes something that is no longer wanted or has outlived its original purpose and makes it into something fresh and new. The upcycling movement represents a growing segment within the antiques field, led by those who have the imagination to see the hidden potential lurking within an object. Search Instagram or the wider web on the terms “upcycling” and “furniture flipping” and thousands of images and how-to tips will bubble up and tempt you to devote a weekend or two to this modern form of alchemy.
Furniture is the leading candidate for upcycling, and there are many ways to either refresh a vintage or antique piece that has suffered years of wear and tear or transform it entirely. Regardless, the piece gains value and the act of repurposing it promotes green consumerism. Buyers of upcycled items keep them out of the landfill and reduce the energy and resources that might otherwise be spent on creating new furnishings and delivering them to stores around the country. The upcycled item typically retains antique elements that bring history and a touch of character to a home.
Not all antique furniture should be upcycled, however. Serious collectors are on an endless quest for pieces with “original surface” — superior examples that have miraculously eluded the brushes and saws of generations of well-intentioned tinkerers. You can certainly hurt the value of a piece by refinishing it, even if you do an impeccable job. Any ardent viewer of Antiques Roadshow will tell you as much. But there are plenty of antique and vintage pieces that can benefit from a makeover. Before hauling a vintage or antique piece to your workshop, garage, or studio, research it and make sure it isn’t an unrecognized treasure. Check for a label or a maker’s mark or other identifiers. Pinpoint how old the piece is and what it is worth. As a general rule, reproductions and things made during the last decade or so will be improved by upcycling.
Turning objects into furniture is another great and imaginative way to upcycle. Some pieces gain new life through something as simple as a new coat of paint or fabric. Others benefit from a more fundamental rearrangement. An innovative upcycler built an etagere — a set of freestanding display shelves without a backboard — from antique components and painted it. The piece ultimately sold for $1,100 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2019 at Ashcroft and Moore LLC. Another example of upcycling from the same auction came in the form of an industrial-style low table, its top 88in in diameter, which realized $850 plus the buyer’s premium. It featured heavy timber beams atop a steel base.
It’s possible to make furniture out of a host of seemingly unlikely objects such as signs, folding ladders, carts, and even window shutters. An upcycled console table achieved $200 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2021 at Greenwich Auction. It started its journey as an antiques sign, and later, someone added a metal base to create a clever and functional piece of furniture. Another delightful concoction is a coffee table upcycled from the top of a vintage ox cart, which made $225 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2016 at Burchard Galleries Inc.
Artists often upcycle objects into artworks and sculptures, such as a gear sculpture designed and manufactured by Mexican sculptor Feliciano Bejar that sold for $700 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2021 at Cain Modern Auctions. Bejar is also renowned for his Magiscopes standing sculpture series, which is fashioned from cut crystal, reclaimed steel and automotive parts.
Another upcycled artwork of note is a contemporary street art sculpture, dubbed “Karl Who?,” which brought $600 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2021 at DejaVu Estate Sales & Auctions. Its unknown creator took a wooden wine box, painted it, and added a transfer photo image of designer Karl Lagerfeld and the Chanel logo. A gold resin painted crow perched on top of the box added the finishing touch.
Lighting is second only to furniture as a favorite canvas amongst keen upcyclers. A six-arm chandelier made of reclaimed French oak wine barrel staves achieved $700 in October 2017 at Rago Arts and Auction Center.
Upcycling provides satisfaction on so many levels — it’s creative, it discourages waste, and it can yield a distinctive, unique piece of functional art. The concept is certainly here to stay.
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