by Justin Santiago
Did you know you too can refurbish and 'up-cycle'? That old grille you're throwing away could be reclaimed and turned into a unique designer coffee table.
There’s something to say about antiques, wine, or even wisdom – age does matter.
Wood, steel, or glass that has aged has a certain quality about it – unlike newer materials. Not only are these aged materials of higher quality – they have developed certain characteristics that can’t be found in newer materials.
These materials that have served one purpose before can now be used for another purpose – giving them a new lease of life and purpose.
This desk, for example, was created using high quality wooden window frames that have been reclaimed from a bungalow undergoing renovation.
For example, I have used wood reclaimed from ceiling beams from a pre-war shophouse in downtown Kuala Lumpur as pillars while renovating a bungalow in Petaling Jaya.
With its nicks and marks and hairline cracks, the “new” pillars do not only have character – they are of superior quality. The wood from a bygone era has stood the test of time, is less prone to warping and is so tough that no termite has eaten through it in a hundred years.
No doubt you can get wood that has been treated to give you this same look – but it is like buying an imitation vintage car. It is simply not the same.
Using reclaimed materials gives the user or observer a sense of connection with the past. In the case of the beams from the old shophouse – they might have a story to tell. It has been walked over, it has absorbed cigarette smoke, dirt, and grime – it may have witnessed many an incident unfolding beneath it.
Something from the past provides us with a connection to our own history. One could have been born during that era. One might have visited the very same place that the material was reclaimed from. It stirs emotions – be it nostalgia, longing, sorrow, wonder, or joy. The features that evoke these emotions can never, ever be duplicated.
This study table has been nicknamed Spider; its 8 legs are made out of window frames.
The next time you feel like throwing away your mother’s old dressing table or some other piece of furniture, think about how you can save some of it. That dressing table may be old, dated, termite-ridden but you might be able to save the mirror and the frame – which may still be in good shape and hang it on the bathroom wall (this is an actual example by the way!).
Steel grills reclaimed from a demolished single storey link house is turned into a side table. They are the only remnants left to remind the houseowner of happy times gone by.
The writer's company Justin Santiago Designs creates functional art pieces from reclaimed materials.
