7 More Amazing Upcycling Projects

Continuing on with our love of upcycling and creating, the Month of October has given us a chance to look at some amazing Halloween projects by various bloggers across the web as well as create and share some cool Halloween pumpkin templates with you guys! You might remember back in June we wrote a post where we featured 9 Examples of Upcycling Used in Incredible Ways. We had so much fun looking through all of the amazing upcycling projects (and there are SO many) that we decided to create another one! This edition includes everything from upcycling pallets and crates to repurposed typewriters and glass bottles! Take a look at some of our favourite projects and let us know what you think!

Pop+Dots Wood Installation at Casa Conceptos

Pop+Dots was founded by Melissa Aldrete and Luis Cardenas. Both from Mexico, the two sought out to use old and damaged objects to create new and interesting installations and interior spaces. The pairs’ portfolio is impressive and we loved this installation created using old pallets, furniture and doors.

The end results are stunning and this is an incredible example of the beauty that can be created with seemingly useless items! Watch the video to get a glimpse of the creation process. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i2fvKSghYU

Willem Heeffer Drum Lamp

This next designer peaked our interests for his clever use of everyday items to create unique products which are just as functional as they are eye-catching. Willem is from The Netherlands but is now based in Finland. He believes that ecology and ethics should be a fundamental part of design which is evident in his body of work.

At first glance, it might not be obvious that his impressive range of drum lamps is in fact made from just that: upcycled washing machine drums.  Powder coated to offer a sleek, contemporary and unique alternative to your everyday lamp, once you realise what they are it gives a whole new feeling about what upcycling is.

São Paulo Lighting by Studio Swine

Studio Swine describes itself as an “Anglo-Japanese design studio making extraordinary projects around the world.” Founded by Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves, a quick look through their portfolio and it’s easy to pick up on the cultural influences.

The São Paulo collection includes a range of furniture and lighting, the latter of which caught our eye. Fashioned from bottles, the glasses is reformed to create stunning shaped bulbs which look beautiful in green. We’re guessing that the cactus shaped piece would but a little too much for most people’s tastes but the smaller, simpler pieces are just as interesting and would be much easier to incorporate into a space.

The City Series by McNabb & Co. Studio

Using all scrap wood, the McNabb team (consisting of James, wife Stephanie and not forgetting shop dogs Riley & Buster!) have created a collection which is their interpretation of making something out of nothing.

The pieces are not only impressive for the amount of detail that goes into each one, but simply breathtaking to look at! Each component is hand cut intuitively making every design different and the McNabb’s describe the sculptures as a “woodworker’s journey from the suburbs to the city”.

Jeremy Mayer Typewriter Sculptures

If there was an award for most unique item upcycled, Jeremy Mayer might just win it. Born in Minnesota and now living in California, Jeremy has no formal art training but is clear proof that if you have a vision, you can make it work. For almost 20 years he has been disassembling typewriters and creating anatomically correct human and animal figures.

He has a huge portfolio of amazing work which you can find on his site. What’s most impressive about Jeremy’s work is that to assemble his sculptures he uses no glue or welding; only the original screws, nuts and bolts that were once part of the typewriter.

Luzinterruptus Labyrinth of Plastic Waste

Luzinterruptus describes themselves as an “anonymous artistic group”. They use their art as a form of demonstration to publish issues which they feel are often overlooked or ignored. They mainly work with light meaning that their pieces are exhibited at night; the use of light is to draw attention to things which may otherwise be overlooked.

The Labyrinth of Plastic Waste was commissioned for Poland’s Katowice Street Art Festival and was created in order to demonstrate the astounding amount of plastic waste that we consume; specifically for bottled water.

DIY Pallet Flooring

This next project is less artistic and more functional but we chose it because it’s a great example of recycling at a very basic, practical level - plus the end results look fantastic!

The wood pieces for the flooring have been salvaged from old pallets, laid and then waxed to create this beautiful and hardwearing floor. Deforestation is a serious problem which has massive effects on the world’s wildlife and natural ecosystems so we think anything that can be done to help, like recycling unused wood, is a step in the right direction! Have you come across any amazing upcycling projects? Be sure to leave us a comment, Tweet us @InternalDoorsCo or let us know on our Facebook page!