I heart furniture

Caroline has seen two amazing discarded furniture sightings on the way to work. (Thank you!) This chair was found looking like it had a serious night on the town. This definitely wins the award for most precariously found chair!

The next day this couple were found. I think they had argued and made up but not totally forgiven each other. You can tell by their body language.

Free to a good home

Over the years, some of my favourite experiences are when there is a message left with the furniture. I think it restores your faith in humanity that just because they don’t want it anymore, they appreciate that it’s life isn’t over. I had no idea until I just collated these that they all said the same thing ‘Free to a good home’. I love the idea that they have specified what type of home the chair should go to.

My hero

I found a leaflet in the Lincolnshire Poacher after a tiny version of the picture below caught my eye. It was for an exhibition ‘Profusion’ that I have managed to miss or at least will miss as I canny drive! Today I googled the artist, Martino Gamper who had created the chairs and I was blown away!

In the last few hours he has become my hero as he not only collected ‘discarded chairs from London streets (or more frequently, friends’ homes)’ for two years but he the spent 100 days reinventing 100 chairs to transform the ‘character and/or the way it functions.’ So let’s just recap, he is a collector and is interested in discarded chairs. It has absolutely made my day!

This is just one of the blooming brilliant chairs called ‘Plastic-Fly’

Please go to the website to see more: www.gampermartino.com. You will not be disappointed!

Pigeon post

I have shed loads of photographs of the found furniture and think I need to see it together as a collection. I think I might make them into a book of postcards, maybe just for me to send to my friends and family. I could even make personalised stamps!

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I have recently been using pigeon post (not really with pigeons, but it’s what I like to imagine when I use the postal service). I have been sending letters and postcards and there is something really magical about it. I like the idea of it going on a journey and seeing new sights along the way. Postcards especially have this really exhibitionist feel about them, as anyone handling them can read what you have been up to and more often than not, how the weather is where you are. They are an accidental audience.  I think this would be one of the biggest pros to being a postman or a literate Pigeon!

Keyboard catastrophe

What kind of musical magic was played on this keyboard before its unfortunate demise? I like to think there was a Ross from Friends type character who played it to death to find their ‘musical gift’.

In abundance

Ali and Caroline have had some great spots on the furniture front. It’s so great receiving picture messages with people’s sightings. Really makes my day! (Thank you!) I have also seen an abundance of furniture of late due to the weather improvement from icicles to sunshine. Here they are:

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Have quite recently decided how I would like to display the photographs and am working on it slowly but surely. It will involve mapping their locations and I’m very excited!

The day job

Whilst walking past one of the meeting rooms at work I spotted these sofa’s piled on top of each other. I had heard whisperings that there is a concern that they will be thrown out during the refurbishment. I am hoping that they will go to a better home, however if they are thrown out on to the streets, I shall be the first to be there with my camera. I like to think of myself as the equivalent of the storm chasers in 90’s movie Twister, but with much much less risk taking!

The lift is boarded up with wood and gaffa tape. I think I prefer the way it looks now. More lifts should edge away from the traditional mental and mirror look.

Chairs and tubes

On Sunday, after a huge Sunday lunch I spotted a chair with a cardboard tube on it. This was a joyous combination for me!

I think I would like to show these photos as a collection or give the image a new lease of life by printing it on other things that are viewed as useful. I would like to complete my map too so you could see where they were located.

Discarded electrical goods

I think there is something sad about seeing electrical goods outside in the cold, wet weather. Any life left in them is slowly being weathered away. I think it’s fair to say that the chances are that the items are already broken, past it, has beens, but surely there is something they could be used for? Katie and I have had many a conversation about this and I think there is part of us that just wants to give them more life and to recognise their worth.

TV Graveyard

A Hoover and a DVD player

A ruse

My brother Theo sent me this photo. Thanking you!

It is a chair from my family home that they did get rid of, but it only sat outside momentarily posing for the photo. It was all a ruse as it actually ended up at the tip.