A salvaged light fixture becomes a stylish tabletop candle holder; a used vinyl receptacle mount is fitted with Plexiglas to create a one-of-a-kind wall frame. There’s also a fruit bowl crafted from reclaimed United Airlines knives that have been mounted onto scrap wood.
These are a few of the items one might find during a visit to Fresh Heirlooms in Pittsburgh, Penn. where most of the works are handmade from reclaimed materials diverted from the local landfill.
Consider it "historic and environmental preservation coupled with progressive social responsibility, sophisticated artfulness, and multi-faceted meaning,” says their website, which also sells a handful of work. An online gallery displays creations of local artists. In addition to their showroom, Fresh Heirlooms also hold creative reuse workshops for both adults and kids so you can expand your creativity and your functional art collection.
With a little guidance, even the most artistically-challenged can see how great aunt Harriet’s old candle snuffer can soon be a revived treasure.