• Keeping memories alive –  Often items have been inherited, so you know who they belonged to, but even if its an anonymous flea market buy, I find the charm and mystery of older items so alluring. It’s a really wonderful feeling to know that I have breathed life back into furniture that the family has had and cherished for so many years. 
• Unique & yours to be proud of – Your up-cycled furniture, whether done with your own grubby hands, or commissioned out to an expert, has your personal stamp on it – Therefore the piece is a unique as you – L.O.V.E!
• Resources saved – It is not only the physical materials (wood / metal /glass etc.) from which items are made, but also all the energy, water and transportation that goes into making a new product available. 
• Quality – In many cases up-cycled items are much older and therefore have bundles more character, charm and quality than what is typically available to buy these days, particularly wooden furniture. 

In my opinion, our focus should be on procuring only what we need and aiming for longevity of use. By no means am I anti Ikea, no, no! In my stunted cultural knowledge of the country I could argue it is the best Swedish export since ABBA. (Last weekend we happily rebuilt and overload our two KALLAX box shelves, after keeping them in storage for a year.) 

Here is an article from The Ecologist about a family run UK upholstery business. It not only highlights the benefits of reusing furniture but also talks about the sourcing of ‘fast furniture’ and hits the nail on the head in terms of consumerism:

“The emphasis should be on reducing consumption
and if possible reusing when possible.”
Sarah Page, Plumbs (The Ecologist, article online, accessed 14th Dec 2019)