A woman from Scotland is making hundreds of pounds extra a month upcycling furniture.
Steph Briggs, 45, from Ayr told Express.co.uk that her highest ticket sale was a carved green man oak bureau. She purchased the item from Ardingley Antiques Fair for £20 and after cleaning, repairing and giving it a bespoke layered paint job, managed to sell it for £1,400.
Mrs Briggs said: “My parents self-built our home as I was growing up, twice, so I’ve always been involved in building and designing the function of a home. They were true family projects planned around the kitchen table.
“I studied jewellery and silversmithing at university and have always been happiest making things.”
Living and moving around army quarters every few years with her husband, Mrs Briggs said she found “little point” in buying furniture as there were no guarantees that it would fit the next place.
With limited resources, the creative started buying and refinishing items found on eBay. Mrs Briggs soon began extending her talents to painting furniture for family and friends, which some would sell for a profit.
As word of mouth spread, Mrs Briggs quit her job as an employment law consultant and started her own company, La Di Da Interiors.
Mrs Briggs said: “It was great to assist small business owners with their staffing challenges, but it was stressful and process-driven. I’m much happier being creative.”
Steph joined Airtasker, a local services marketplace, to find more clients to help make money from their unwanted items. She now regularly upcycles pre-loved furniture on the side and can make up to £500 extra a month.
Mrs Briggs said: “The amount you can earn depends on how much time you’ve got available, I could make around £500 a month or more if I complete more tasks.
“There is such a variety of jobs on Airtasker, by just completing a handful of jobs earning a few extra hundred a month is more than achievable. I can complete around two to three tasks a month, as upcycling jobs can naturally be quite time-consuming.”
Of all the jobs Mrs Briggs takes on, transforming heirlooms are the ones she enjoys most.
She said: “Often people have Granny’s table or Mum’s sideboard that has massive sentimental value from their childhood but is aesthetically tired and doesn’t match modern interiors.
“Refinishing these is pressured but the thought of the piece of furniture being used and loved for another generation is super satisfying.”
For other aspiring creatives aiming to venture into upcycling furniture, Mrs Briggs shared five top tips.
- Start with smaller pieces, they sell the quickest as they fit into more homes
- Well-made solid wooden furniture is the easiest and best value to work with and gives a good return
- Invest in good quality paints and brushes, these make a “massive difference” to the finish and longevity
- Most pieces are 80 percent prep and 20 percent painting, cleaning, sanding, repairing and filling take time
- Make sure to charge for hours invested correctly to avoid “underselling” skills.
