The upcycled life

This term "upcycled" appeals to me right now. It's the beauty of the old creating something new and interesting. It's a type of starting over and a new perspective... It's Adventurous. I'm seeing it everywhere from shipping containers being turned into stylish and affordable, recycled housing to old inner tubes being refashioned into stylish wallets. 

BUCHAREST wallet found at Supermarket

I vacillate back and forth between the person who holds on to everything old (my grandmothers box of hundreds of crocheted doilies?!?) thinking that someday I'll create something amazing, to the person who needs clear unfettered space. At that point, you'd better hide the dog or he'll be in the thrift store pile.
Upcycled let's you look at something awesome, clean and new and still see a glimpse of something you remember from your past. That's the ultimate Retro!
Katie Thompson at REcreate in South Africa has an inspiring visual sense for what can be created out of the discarded pieces around your life. Clearly this unique perspective in decorating is catching on. Katie's ingenious suitcase chair has been featured everywhere from eco-decor sites in the U.S. to leading home design magazines in Israel. She says "I love creating functional art from discarded non functional junk."
I found an absolutely breathtaking example of functional art from the design company Inghua Ting at an online store based out of San Fransisco called Branch. Their recycled vintage belt floor mats are infused with the aged rich patina colors that only come to leather over time.

Upcycled Vintage belt floor mat 

Lately, I feel we've been void of original style coming out of the fashion world. It's exciting now to see that some excess has taken a backseat to originality through simplicity. I'm happy to say that upcycled is the new "IT".