Upcycling is going to be THE interior trend of the autumn, according to new research from wood paint specialists Thorndown.

Using Pinterest Trends, the eco experts have found that the search term ‘upcycled furniture’ has soared in September, leaping from 29 index points to 100 (the highest) in just a week.

Caroline Thornborough, Design Director at Thorndown, said: “As we head into another winter, worries about the cost of living are at the fore. That, combined with a rising interest in sustainability, is driving people to get more creative and give upcycling a go.”

Thorndown’s wood paint is ideal for revamping tired, dated pieces. It adheres really well to bare wood or previously painted surfaces, so there’s normally no need for a primer. Plus, because it’s water-based, it is low in odour and ideal for using in sprayers.

Thorndown recently worked with Martin Derbyshire of Spraybox to give an outdated rocking chair a bold new hue.

Martin said: “The original rocking chair was in a really poor condition. One of the arms had become loose, the seat had several cracks in it and most of the original paint was missing due to wear and tear. So, we filled, glued and sanded where necessary – the more prep that goes in at the start of the project, the better the finish that can be achieved at the end. The chair was then hung and sprayed.

“Spindles are always a pain to paint traditionally, whether it be on chairs or stairs but with spraying, that difficulty and time consuming element is eradicated.

“With the Thorndown wood paint no primer was required, just a light sand in between coats and any secondary filling where required. I was honestly blown away by the paint and incredible finish we achieved, and have to say it’s one of the nicest paints I’ve sprayed with. There’s a great range of colours available and would highly recommend to anyone!”

Upcycling is not only great for the environment but is good on the pocket too. Transforming the rocking chair from a dark black through to a light green required just three coats and 375ml of paint – just half of a 750ml tin, which retails for £20 from thorndown.co.uk

THE THORNDOWN STORY

Thorndown is an award-winning specialist paint manufacturer that creates technically excellent, eco-friendly water-based wood paints and innovative peelable glass paint, perfect for shading and arts and crafts.

Inspired by the beautiful countryside and heritage of the West Country where the factory is based, the husband-and-wife team behind Thorndown, Ben and Caroline Thornborough, blend their passions for art, design, science and the natural world in their ecologically advanced paints.

Founded on the principles of creating the best possible products with leading ingredients that both respect and work with the natural environment, Thorndown has taken time to source the best raw materials to create cutting-edge water-based eco paints with virtually no VOCs.

Thorndown’s Wood Paint is available in 72 colours and a UV Clear, while the Peelable Glass Paint is available in 24 opaque colours and 14 translucents.

Colour matching is also available along with over 1800 RAL Classic and Design colours.

Thorndown is represented by homes & interiors specialists jwc