‘Upcycling’ giving furniture a second life and fulfilling the needs of another home’

A CHARITY store in Navan has become a creative hub to give second hand furniture a new lease of life.

The St Vincent De Paul Furniture store in Balmoral Industrial Estate is reaping the rewards of a growing trend that sees tired old pieces of furniture transformed and repurposed into ‘up cycled’ treasures.

The store has become a vital resource to the people of Navan and beyond in recent years, now more than ever with a significant increase in requests from service users in recent months due to the cost of living crisis. However the positives of this concept do not end there with members of the public being able to get their hands on high quality furniture at very low prices.

Manager Paul Donnegan, says that how the SVP store operates results in a negative carbon imprint as all stock has either been donated or is second-hand.

Good news when you consider that research conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) between 2018 and 2019, found that more than 1.2 million bulky items go to landfill or incineration in Ireland each year.

“What we are doing is saving things going to landfill because a lot of the items we get it would be destined for skips,” said Paul.

“They can be resold, which gives them a second chance of life and also fulfils a need for another household, whether it be upcycled or used in the great condition that we receive our items in,” he added.

“But just as important is the fact that all money raised goes directly back into the local area for distribution to the people who most need it.”

Well made furniture from decades past gives the opportunity to continue its story for a new generation according to the store manager who said:

“We are selective, we only take things that we can use. We also have people that buy to upcycle so they are looking for something cheap and cheerful but well made if it’s old. Furniture of the past was made very well and they are buying things like €20 for a coffee table or a chest or drawers and they are painting them and up cycling them and re purposing them.

“We also do epicycle projects where people send in photos of items they have transformed. We also take on little projects ourselves if a table comes in that needs oiling, we sand it down and oil it and it goes on the floor. “

“The quality of the older furniture is fantastic. You can come in and get a table and chairs for €60, €80 for most two-seaters and most three seaters would be €120 - €130 and wardrobes go for €60 to €100, if you go to furniture shop new wardrobes can be up to €700 or more.

“Furniture from the modern big brands can often be absolute rubbish, when you come in here you are buying furniture that could be 20 or 30 years old or older, we get some antiques, made to last.”

The team travel all around Leinster to collect unwanted items of furniture then can be resold at the shop in Navan with the proceeds going back to support people in the local community.

“The funds from the shop go back into SVP and that’s what keeps the whole engine running,” said Paul. “We are very fortunate to have so many donations coming in.

“I could get 40 or 50 emails a day from people offering furniture. We could be selling 20 dining tables a week or selling 40 sofas, we receive huge volumes of furniture that has to be turned over very quickly.”

Earlier this year well known artist Seamus Smyth was reunited with a painting he sold nearly 50 years ago when it turned up in the store, testament that you really never know what you are going to find in outlets like this.

Seamus was reacquainted with the work that he created in 1974 as part of his first ever exhibition after staff in the St Vincent De Paul store who had been researching the piece since early last year twigged that he may be the mystery artist in question.

On a different occasion, Paintings donated to the store raised more than €7,000 at auction.

“What really makes it possible for us is that we have TUS workers, CE workers and volunteers, without them we wouldn’t be able to survive, it’s a great team effort.”