I painted my first piece of furniture in 1997 & I still own it today.

I’ve always had a passion for design, which I assume I can attribute to my architect dad, but until recently I would never have dared think of myself as a creative type.

I studied Economics at Bristol University & then spent 15 years in the corporate world before summoning the courage to jump & start my first business as a wellness coach.

I guess that helped me realise that I could both be brave & also do hard things (a Glennon Doyle quote that I now have hanging on my wall) so I then took the plunge to become a solo mum & had two gorgeous donor sperm conceived children.

I know it’s not fashionable to say this but I LOVE parenting. I’m not saying it’s always easy, but it’s fulfilled me in a way that nothing else has before &, once again, has reinforced the mantra that I can do hard things.

So as I was approaching the time that felt right for my littlest to start nursery, I challenged myself to work out what would come next for me. Whichever way I thought about it, it had to be something creative - I toyed with a few ideas before realising that furniture upcycling ticked all my boxes.

I love…

…taking something old, unloved, & otherwise headed for the dump & making it beautiful enough to take pride of place in someone’s home again.

I love…

...that what I make will be unique & not found anywhere else in the world or anyone else’s home.

I love…

…that every project is a blank canvas for experimenting with & learning something new.

I love…

…that it gives me an outlet to be as playful as my brain will allow - with design & with colour.

I’m not sure reinvention can be considered a value but, one way or another, it’s at the heart of who I am. Without it, I feel restless, bored & stagnant. With it, I feel alive, joyful, interesting & inspired.

At a time when sustainability & longevity have never been more important & simultaneously we need to be surrounded by more joy to boost our spirits, then I believe playful reinvention can be the answer.

So why not start with the things that we look at every day within the sanctuaries that are our homes - our furniture.

In my opinion, great furniture performs well on two fronts - function & form. Firstly, does it fit the space & perform the role you need it to? Secondly, does it make you appreciate the way it looks or make you smile & feel good every time you walk past?

Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to inherit furniture that ticks the first box but often not the second. When I bought my first house, it was a godsend to be able to furnish it with things my parents no longer wanted & then, over time, to gradually upgrade & buy things that were more my style.

And now, several years on as my parents have downsized, it’s felt good to salvage things that remind me of my childhood & give a new vibrant life to pieces that are likely more than 40 years old - some of which now take pride of place in my home & some you can find for sale right here.

So that’s why I choose this as my work.

The name? Slapdash is a word my dad liked to use & regularly comes to mind when I find myself buzzing with eagerness to jump into a project & get stuck into some playful reinvention.

If you want to see what this looks like in practice then head over here or for some behind-the-scenes action then Instagram is where it’s at.

Whether you have some ideas but just don’t have the confidence or the time to pick up a paintbrush or have absolutely no idea where to start, I’m here to guide you along the way to some joyful furniture transformation.

If you’d just like to start with hello and a chat then ping me an email.