Welcome to The ReUp NY!

Do you love home design, decor, and furnishings? Do you love a good crafting project? And are you interested in giving old things new life? Then this is the place for you!

Did you know that, according to the EPA, in 2018, nearly 10 million tons of furniture ended up in landfills in the US? That’s equivalent to a teaspoon of a neutron star material. Too nerdy? Okay, that’s about 1.7 million adult elephants.

We’re living in an age of “fast”. Trends change faster, technology becomes obsolete in the blink of an eye, and a lot more things are made more cheaply with materials that don’t last as long. But there’s value in giving old things new life. Even some unlikely objects can have another chance at being something beautiful or useful.

And that’s what we do here at The ReUp. You know what they say — one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

A quick preview of some of our favorite projects:

(Yes, this was made for that Kevin Stafford! Y’all know his family has a crest?)

And, bonus, a couple built-from-scratch furniture projects:

And lastly, a little about me:

I’m Shaleya! (Pronounced Sha-lee-ya)

I’m a Westchester native, born-and-raised. I still live in the same house I’ve been living in since I was 15, and before that I lived the next town over. I pass my high school several times a week (usually on my way to my second home — Home Depot).

I’ve been a working human since I was 15 — I’ve spent time as a barista, a campus tour guide, an AP Calculus teacher, an academic advisor, a mentor, a testing coordinator, a customer support specialist, and a product operations manager. And I’ve had a great time learning so much and meeting lots of cool people along the way.

I like learning and experiencing new things, so I have a lot of hobbies — probably way too many! Once upon a time, they used to call this a “Jack of All Trades”, but now we call it a “multipotentialite”. (Watch the TED Talk on this if you haven’t seen it).

More than anything, I like to make things. And because I also have a passion for the environment, I especially like to give old things new life. Some might call me a hoarder (which wouldn’t be totally inaccurate), but it’s just because things that other people see as garbage, I have visions about what else they could be. And I do use all the things I hoard keep…eventually…

And if you’re still with me, that’s what this newsletter is about — giving new life to old things instead of letting them end up in a landfill. So if you’re interested in seeing just how cool you can make old furniture, VHS tapes, empty paint cans, scrap wood, and more look, join us on a journey of fun, flair, and (attempted) sustainability. 

Happy upcycling!

The ReUp

Oh wait! Before you go, a quick poll…