Upcycling project

My upcycling design is a chair made from various materials that are both recyclable and non-recyclable. Milk crates, metal chair frame, self adhesive foam, sample vinyl tiles and PVC coated wiring (computer wires). However my design did not initially begin with the idea of a chair, like most designers and design processes the initial design ends up almost nothing like the final. In my case, it began as a hot water bottle jacket which was denied through helpful feedback. Using the feedback I had received from my tutor I took a more industrial approach and found that the chair is almost iconic in the world of industrial design from Charles and Ray Eames to Marc Newson. Obviously I did not expect my chair to be on the same level as world renown designers, merely inspired by. The materials I chose fell under the category of upcycling as such: Milk crates are often stolen and taken from grocers, shops and markets all the time which are usually disfigured or used for personal reasons which end up being discarded and in the landfill. Metal chair frames are just discarded chairs left for the council to pick up and melt down to form new metal, but the process in doing so is costly, possibly harmful to the environment and time consuming. Refurbishing a worn out chair is much more cost effective as well as safe for the environment. Self adhesive foam has a type of glue attached to it that is not only poisonous but prevents the foam to be recycled properly. Sample vinyl tiles are just offcuts that are used to display colour and texture of vinyl tiles at flooring departments but are discarded when not needed anymore. PVC coated wiring is an obvious ‘non-recyclable’ because PVC is poisonous when burnt so it can only be discarded into the landfill. 

My chair features a pattern on the seat that resembles a decorative tile in the front or backyard of a house. Created with the sample vinyl tiles cut and pasted onto the bottom of the milk crate piece. I slotted pieces of self adhesive foam into the squares of the milk crate piece to create the image of a decorative tile that represents where and what the chair would be used for. The black chair frame against the white milk crate pieces enhances the seat and focuses the attention onto the coloured tiles and decorative patterns of the seat which becomes pleasing aesthetically.