From inherited and sentimental pieces to bargains finds on Facebook Marketplace – one Moray woman is on a mission to give tired and outdated furniture a “new life”.
Marie Smith has always had a passion for antique furniture, and over the past 30 years has filled her home with unique and bespoke finds.
Although her background is in engineering, Mrs Smith taught herself how to upcycle her own furniture to make it fit her home better.
After a former colleague suggested she could turn her hobby into a business in 2018, she started buying items to work her magic on before selling.
In as little as two months, inquiries were flooding into The Artisan Bothy from people asking her to transform their furniture.
Now the 56-year-old devotes her time to upcycling, recycling, and giving the furniture a new life.
“I’m a people pleaser,” she admitted. “It’s as much about the pleasure as it is about being a career for me.
“Particularly if it’s a piece somebody has inherited and they really don’t want to lose it, but feel they can’t have it in their home in its current state.
“The transformation is just incredible, but more importantly, it’s seeing their faces light up.”
From her studio at home in Glenlivet – a converted bothy- she works on anything from antique furniture from as early as the Victorian era to modern finds from Next that may just need an update.
She taught herself how to restore furniture around 30 years ago, and then turned her attention to upholstery when she wanted to update her own sofas.
But it wasn’t until 2018 that she started painting furniture.
‘Environmentally and financially wasteful’
Mrs Smith believes people are becoming more sustainable, which is why there is a rising interest in upcycling furniture rather than throwing it out.
She said: “I think people are becoming more environmentally conscious and mindful of buying new and throwing it away in five years’ time.
“But it’s also not great economically, to just discard something that you may have actually invested in, to just go ‘I’m a bit bored of that now, and I’m going to get rid of it.’
“It’s environmentally and financially wasteful.”
There is also a desire to be unique and get furniture that fits the room, whether that’s by changing the colour or making it reflect the owner’s style.
Pine furniture is something that can be easily transformed. It is a solid piece of furniture, but not many people want honey-coloured pine which was so popular in the 1990s.
These items can be painted and treated, completely transforming them to fit the space better.
Mrs Smith carries out consultations in the client’s home, specifically in the space they are looking to keep their bespoke piece.
With a keen eye for detail, she looks at the colours and the light in the room to make sure the masterpiece will fit perfectly.
Sofas and chairs are other pieces that can become outdated quickly, with the fabric getting worn and marked.
Mrs Smith’s skilled hands can now easily give them a new lease of life by simply updating the fabric and making it fit the space and fit for purpose once more.
‘Every piece teaches me something new’
She never expected The Artisan Bothy to take off the way it has, and has been relying on word of mouth to spread her services.
For Mrs Smith, she loves the craft of painting and upholstering – finding the process of both to be therapeutic.
She laughed: “It’s not without its frustrations, but in doing so I’m learning new skills as well.
“Every piece I bring in teaches me something new, whether it’s how to deal with a particular problem, how to fix a fault, or whether it’s a new technique altogether.”
Although she can’t pick a favourite project, she described pianos as a “completely different ball game”.
They are too heavy to transport to the bothy, so she must do all the work on-site and according to the artist every piano has been different.
She explained: “They are by far the most challenging, but equally the most rewarding.
“So far every one I’ve done has had its own incredible story and it’s interesting to do them I think.”
Conversation