Re-use, Recycle and Re-upholster

My latest mini makeover project was to give my old armchair a shot of style. Given to us by a friend en route to the dump a few years ago, it had, until recently, sat un-resplendent in a corner of the flat. Now it’s been given a long-overdue upgrade in a Moon & Sons (www.moons.co.uk) wool check and purple piping.

It seems I am not alone in jumping on the upcycling bandwagon. Given a thoroughly modern twist in a selection of plaids and tweeds, this reclaimed ‘Cinderella’ chair (£1,125, Ampersand Interiors www.ampersandinteriors.co.uk) is a prime example of how far you can take things. For more ideas visit their Edinburgh showroom and find our about their ‘Amp Up’ service which enables you to revive furniture that’s looking a bit forgotten and forlorn.

Stitched Up

Amidst the hustle of last year's Country Living Christmas Fair at the SECC, these ceramic creations spoke to me with a quiet but elegant voice. Handcrafted in fine white porcelain, which lends each piece a refined delicacy, decorative stitching, button embellishment and lace imprinting adds homely appeal. It’s craft, but not as we know it.

Cath Ball, the designer-maker behind these pieces, is based in Cumbria, but luckily her work can be bought online at http://www.madebyhandonline.com.

She has also just been featured in a new book Handmade in Britain that pays homage to 90 contemporary designer-makers from the UK. As its pre-amble says: 'In these days of mass produced objects where people have become strangers to the process of making, it is comforting to know that there are still craftspeople working by hand and creating wonderful, unique products.'

Here, here.