The mantra 'reduce-reuse-recycle' was never more important than it is today in our 'throw-away' society, with plastic packaging continuing to be used on almost every purchasable piece of food (with some to-be-encouraged exceptions) and gadgets which used to last half a lifetime ( I still have my 1970s calculator - and it still works!) being upgraded with ever-increasing (and largely unnecessary) frequency and household appliances built almost as if purposely to fail just after their 3-year guarantee. So it is encouraging to see small businesses bucking this trend and my short stint thus far on Instagram has shown me that the vintage-collecting and retro-seeking global community are playing an important part: some through collecting and buying second-hand or vintage items; others by sourcing, cleaning, fixing or upcycling and re-selling partly to meet this demand, but often also because they enjoy doing so. Creating your mid-century modern home is a brilliant opportunity to do this too: whilst the demands of modern living necessitate contemporary purchases also, by using as many original pieces as possible you will not only be giving your home an authentic mid-century feel but you will be doing your bit for the planet too. Mid-century furniture compared with today's pieces was built to last and has lasted, so you will not be continually having to replace things which are falling apart after a short period of wear. Things don't have to look absolutely perfect either: the solidity of a teak item for example more than makes up for the odd undisguisable mark and the beauty and heavy quality of a mid-century barkcloth fabric forgive a tiny pull or two which would be unacceptable on something purchased 'brand new'. One of the most enjoyable trends in terms of reusing/recycling has been the re-purposing of old items to new uses, and this is perfectly applicable to the mid-century modern style : the odd beautiful piece which might no longer be fit for its original purpose can be reused in a different way or simply as a decorative object. On this page are just some examples of re-purposing which can enhance a mid-century/mid-century modern home - mostly on a shoestring budget ! Watch this space as this page is still in the process of being created and will be continuously added to!