An Upcycler’s Paradise: My First Visit To Emmaus Salfordfeatured

by Jenni on August 2, 2015
Posted in Charity Shops, Home, Life & Style, Thrifty, Upcycling

It was only a few weeks ago that I first heard about the homelessness charity Emmaus. I spotted them on Twitter and found myself spending ages looking through their tweets. Bursting with photos of donations, charity shop displays, and stories of the people they help, these guys really are experts when it comes to promoting their charity on social media. As soon as I spotted the photo below, I knew I’d have to start paying their shops a visit.

I soon realised that their Fitzwarren Street store in Salford isn’t too far from Jake’s house, so popped over for a visit yesterday. Although there’s one room overflowing with clothes and several bookcases filled with great titles, this shop’s best feature is definitely the amount of affordable furniture it has on offer.

As soon as I spotted the two bedside cabinets below for just £5 each, I instantly knew that I’d be returning another day with my Dad and his car. These babies might be gone by the time we can nip back, but I’ve got my fingers crossed that there’ll be some other bargains for us.

Everything in the building (and in the car park outside) was so well priced and I found myself wishing I could buy almost everything and take it home for some TLC. It really is the perfect place for upcyclers looking for an easy project! Although everything is cheap, it’s also in decent condition and nothing seems like too much hard work. A quick paint job should ought to do the trick, but the vast majority of pieces would also be perfectly fine as they are, particularly if you’re a first time buyer or someone who has just moved into an unfurnished flat.

Can you believe this table and chairs below is just £65 for the set? There’s nothing wrong with it! If I had a van big enough to drive these home, I’d probably paint it all white and recover the cushions with a different fabric, but it’d certainly be perfectly fine left as it is if you couldn’t be bothered with the mither.

I think my next upcycling project might involve a little something like this nest of tables. Since I’m living at my parents’ house at the moment, I’ve been firmly warned not to bring anything hefty home as the house is already bursting at the seems. So something like this would be perfect to do up and stash in the garage until it’s time for me to move out.

So much furniture…just a shame I don’t have my own van to take it all home in!

If you’d like to know more about this fantastic charity, take a look at the Emmaus website or follow them on Twitter.

Have you got a favourite place you turn to when looking for your next upcycling project? Or perhaps you’ve just moved into a new home and you’re in the process of filling it with second hand treasures? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

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