I started Ethos Upcycling early 2014 after reading articles about Chalk Paints, the durability of the paint and the way it looked appealed to me. The simplicity of being able to apply it with nothing more than a paint brush meant I decided to experiment myself.

One of the hardest parts about setting up my own business was choosing the name, eventually after a long hard think I settled on 'Ethos Upcycling'. 

'Ethos' is a Greek word meaning 'character' and 'Upcycling' is about the reuse of discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of higher quality than the original. This was perfect as my ideas and what I wanted to achieve with this business were summed up in these two words.

So here I am:

Ethos Upcycling -  Taking old, discarded or simply unloved items and bringing them back to life

I now have my own website www.ethosupcycling.weebly.com and regularly sell items via Ebay.
 
There is also social media for keeping fans and followers of Ethos Upcycling up to date with what’s happening in terms of new products, and ongoing projects, plus details of items for sale.
 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ethosupcycling
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ethosupcycling
Pinterest:  www.pinterest.com/ethosupcycling

I had a bit of time to myself yesterday afternoon and made the decision that these dining room chairs are a little boring and needed sprucing up.

Needing some inspiration I looked out the back window and saw my hens in the garden.

Time for Chicken Chair to get underway . . .

I put an undercoat of Annie Sloan Chateau Grey over the frame to begin with. It was nice to see the boring brown finish of the original chair disappear. Once this had dried I applied Annie Sloan Old White over the top and waited again until this layer was dry. I then sanded and knocked back the Old White paint to give the chair a country feel

I had managed to get hold of this Linenstyle printed Chicken fabric from Molly Felicity Designs and thought it would be perfect for my Chicken Chair.

I then gave a good coat of clear wax to the chair frame, once I was happy with the finish. It was now time to re upholster the seat pad.

Voila - here is the finished Chicken Chair

I am very pleased with this, it's got the rustic country feeling that I think fits in well with my style, and fits with the design of the house. This one's staying with me.

Only three more chairs to do now so here's the question:

Do I stick with the same theme or make each one a little different?

Damion

I've acquired this apple crate and thought it's far too good simply to store apples and thought there must be a use for it around my home.

I'm always looking at ways to repurpose items when I can.

After a lot of trial and error I came to the conclusion that it would be ideal for book storage.

I had considered maybe giving it a wash of paint but decided to leave it in its original rustic form.

The crate is made from well used wood, nailed together with a natural unspoilt finish. 

This final picture shows it stacked with books standing in pride of place next to another classic retro lamp from the 1970s.

In the foreground is a fantastic wooden plant stand which also adds character to the living room.

All of these pieces in their own little way show my likes and personality.

So what would you store in your apple crate?

Damion