Abu Dhabi Week meets the expat with the ‘waste-not, want-not’ lifestyle
In this land of plenty it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘new’ and ‘latest’. There is the temptation to make everything from cars, to furniture as disposable as the tax free incomes.
But one savvy lady is choosing to ‘upcycle’ rather than ‘upgrade’ and is giving a new lease of life to items people don’t want or need.
Interior designer Rachel Savage has an eye for hidden treasures, spotting them among things that others might consider ‘trash’. She regularly scours clearance houses, and buildings destined for demolition looking for bargains. She even casts an eye over the odd bit of roadside rubbish in search of unwanted ‘stuff’.
She said: “I like to take old things, or pieces that people no longer find interesting and make them cool again.”
The idea for Upcycle in the City sprouted from what many professional women search for, a ‘work life balance”. With two young children Savage chose to stop working full time in corporate design, but still desired an outlet for her craft.
What she now has is flexibility and a platform to combine her creativity and love of furniture. Admittedly many of her pieces are completely underwhelming when she spots them, but her well-honed skills means she can see ‘potential’.
“As soon as I see something, I will instantly have an idea for it,” she said.
The tender loving care required varies from a good polish, or a coat of paint, which translates to a few hours of her time. Other projects demand extensive repair or a complete overhaul that can take several weeks. Though formally trained in visual concepts, the British expat is now also enjoying developing new ‘hands on’ skills, “a day sanding can be quite tiring but very therapeutic”.
What started out as ‘a bit of fun’ to refurbish a few pieces is now drawing a growing number of admirers who want to purchase them. They can peruse and buy through her online shop ‘Little Majlis’. Most of the items she comes across have travelled with their original owners from other countries and simply can’t be purchased here, which after a makeover adds to their appeal.
Quality pieces are usually made to last, it makes sense to enjoy the investment of good craftsmanship, whether that be through restoring former glory or a cosmetic lift for a modern twist.
In what appears to be an effortless style, and a sixth sense of knowing just what an old chair or dresser needs to make it ‘hot property’, Savage is also quite the innovator. A broken skateboard for most people would be considered junk; her clever interpretation is to make a backyard swing. A big old broken clock is now enjoying reincarnation as the top of a coffee table.
All her pieces prompt echoes of ‘I wish I’d thought of that’ or ‘what a good idea’, thoughts which she hopes will inspire others to recycle rather than throw out and simply buy new. “Most people know what they like, sometimes it’s just lack of confidence in the placement or grouping of pieces,” she says.
What’s more, ‘revamping’ usually costs far less than ‘replacing’ which might also encourage others to give it a go. It’s the little things that can make a big difference. Moving furniture around, adding a rug or changing lights, even painting one wall can create a whole new look.
“It’s about what you like, not what it costs,” Savage says and happily admits to mixing classic investment pieces with lower budget items. Describing her own style as an “eclectic mix of 19th century French, retro and contemporary”, she is frustrated by the somewhat ‘flippant’ attitudes to furniture disposal in these parts.
She said that a contributing factor is the short term tenure of expats here, who tend to furnish their home with ‘cheaper temporary furnishings’.
“My idea of beautiful isn’t necessarily the same as others, however people are often lured by a magazine layout and purchase ‘a whole room’. But that’s not real life or a home.” I love that older pieces have history and sentiment’. Clearly she has a talent for creating new chapters for them.
Kellie Curtain