I’m a furniture lover: I made £100,000 upcycling strangers’ junk
A full-time furniture maker has told how he spends just £10 upcycling unwanted junk from strangers – and has made more than £100,000 by reselling them.
Lottie Naylor, 24, learned the trade at the age of 13 when she “started painting furniture for herself” and earning money.
And for the past six months, people have been seeking her out on social media, asking for “tips and tricks” on how she lands online deals — and other freebies on Facebook Marketplace.
Repairing and polishing the items, she then sells them as decorative vintage homewares, each costing £100 to £350.
She is always on the hunt, traveling around looking for “the best bargain” – rarely spending more than £15 on each piece.
Lottie, from Cornwall, said: “It’s the most satisfying job I’ve ever had.
Read more about making money
“I used to work for a charity and for some time as an electrician.
“But nothing made me happier than painting furniture.
“It is durable and of higher quality.
“It was the only thing I ever thought about.”
Lottie was only 13 when she started turning furniture, painting whatever she could find.
It was during this time in 2014 that she started a business in Cornwall called Vintage Living Home with her mother to showcase and sell her upcycled creations.
“The shop opened every weekend when painting furniture was all the rage,” says Lottie.
“I sold about five or six upcycled tables or chairs a week that I found at auctions – and they went straight away.
“At first the items on my Facebook page were selling for around £80 to £100, but eventually after a few years I managed to bump them up to well over £200.”
“But besides the money, the business was also a great outlet for my family to be together.
“My grandfather was a carpenter and my grandmother helped make the cushions for our chairs, so we were a creative family who loved the trade.”
When Lottie moved to West Sussex seven months ago, she realized its potential and “took on the business full-time”.
When she arrived, Lottie noticed that “people weren’t as interested in tables and chairs as they were in Cornwall” and decided to “take on more extreme upcycling projects”.
Upcycle garden furniture in 3 steps
There’s really no need to spend a fortune on new outdoor furniture.
Rebecca Miller, Associate Editor and garden enthusiast of Fabulous, has shared her tips for transforming old second-hand furniture into pieces that look brand new.
“Recycling centres, dump shops, charity shops and Facebook Marketplace are great places to pick up second-hand items cheaply.
And all you have to do is have a free afternoon to spruce them up – and it’s something you can get your kids involved in!
Beautiful
Everything looks better after a good scrub.
When in doubt, opt for a simple dish soap and warm water and get to work removing all the dirt and grime.
If the piece of furniture can withstand some pressure, why not pressure wash it?
Let it dry and then you can see what you are dealing with.
Refurbish
If the piece of furniture is a little wobbly, or you’re not sure how sturdy it is, take a moment to check all the fixings and replace or tighten them.
Colour
The fastest way to transform a piece of furniture is with a lick of paint.
When choosing a new color, base it on shades that complement your existing garden design and plants, but most importantly, choose a color that puts a smile on your face.”
“I spend most of my time surfing the internet looking for the best thing to upcycle,” said Lottie.
“Local auctions, car boot sales and Facebook Marketplace are my favorite places to visit.
“I wouldn’t pay much for furniture – maybe around $20 for a chest of drawers,” she added.
‘But €40 is my limit.
Lottie focused on buying furniture made from pine as it was “the most popular and turned pale when sanded, which is what people wanted”.
She also tended to “avoid furniture with major breaks and opt for furniture that needs minor repairs.”
When upcycling, Lottie said she was leaning towards “French Chic style paint” – a furniture paint that “can be used outdoors and gives a nice, clean finish”.
She has also tried her hand at creating stencil designs known as bone and lace.
“Over the years I have perfected the paint style, which has allowed me to command a premium for my pieces,” Lottie said.
“My most popular design is the bone-in-lace stencil, which reflects similar patterns found in Morocco.
“The first time I tried my first bone and lace was on a chest of drawers – and that took me three and a half days.
“Painting a normal chest of drawers can take me a day or even half a day.”
“My biggest sale, however, happened two years ago when I found an antique oak sofa for £20 on Facebook Marketplace.
“All I did was cover the sofa in dark wax while I carried out the repairs, which only cost me £10.
“I later sold the piece on Facebook Marketplace for £350.”
From then on, Lottie has been “constantly on the lookout for better bargains” – even admitting to traveling from West Sussex to the Midlands in three and a half hours for a single piece of furniture.
I’ve been doing this for over 10 years and still learn something every day
Lottie Naylor
In this case it was a chest of drawers made of solid oak.
“If it’s vintage homeware or antiques, I’ll travel further for it because I know I can sell it for more,” Lottie added.
“I focus on antiques and pine because I know they will last a long time.
“And many people are now liking the more old and worn look of furniture again.
“When I first started turning furniture, I went to the Antique and Vintage Waybridge Showground, held every year in Cornwall.
“You find great things there, but people knowing I was a professional helped me a lot, so I mainly used these events for networking.
“But for those wanting to get started, especially at auctions, look at the costs as some charge 20 percent on top of what you buy.
“I’ve been doing this for over 10 years and I still learn something every day.
“If anyone considers flipping furniture a hobby, pick up a brush and start painting.
‘I promised myself that I would only do this work.
“And I don’t think that will ever change, because people will always be interested in antiques.”