#Iamareuser Jennifer McCullagh

My name is Jennifer McCullagh and I am the founder of Upainted, based in Co Derry. I upstyle and hand paint furniture and interesting vintage pieces.

l have always loved vintage furniture. It’s unique and often quirky in style and it is made to a much higher quality than most of the stuff available on the high street. The problem is, it’s often made in mahogany or dark brown wood finishes that don’t suit modern homes anymore. They get overlooked or chucked out as a result. Tonnes of beautiful furniture is discarded annually. I particularly like to find pieces like this chest of drawers, which came to me in pieces. With a bit of imagination and TLC it’s now ready to take pride of place in someone’s home again.

I think it’s important that we think twice before throwing away perfectly good furniture. My business motto is ‘Why buy new when you can have unique.’ Your home should be filled with furniture that suits your style and personality and that it is completely bespoke to you. My advice is to paint it yourself. There are so many quality products available these days to help you revamp your tired furniture. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself then contact one of the many talented artisans nationwide who upstyle furniture professionally. Alternatively, if you just want to get rid of it, consider giving it away for free. You’d be surprised what someone else will be able to do with it.