0:00:03 > 0:00:05Oh, now, I like the look of your rubbish.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08How do you make money for nothing?
0:00:10 > 0:00:11I love a little rummage.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15The answer could be hiding in the 30 million tonnes
0:00:15 > 0:00:18of household waste we throw out every year.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21I think that I might be able to make something out of that.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25That's why entrepreneur Sarah Moore wants to get her hands on
0:00:25 > 0:00:27things before they hit the skip.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29That's...that's wartime.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I'm a passionate buyer, user and maker of old stuff.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38And I've turned that passion into a moneymaking business.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39I make new stuff out of old stuff,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and I sell it for a profit.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46And with some of the country's elite designers and makers...
0:00:46 > 0:00:47That was brief.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Oh, the potential!
0:00:49 > 0:00:55- No!- ..she can transform her finds into desirable...- Work of art!
0:00:55 > 0:00:59..valuable... THEY LAUGH
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..and hopefully saleable items.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Holy Moley!
0:01:05 > 0:01:09If Sarah is successful, then she can hand the profits back to the very
0:01:09 > 0:01:13people who had no idea there was cash to be made from their trash.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Thank you. I'm astonished!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Today, Sarah's in Altrincham, south of Manchester,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33where thousands of locals come with their rubbish, rain or shine.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38People throw away all sorts of goodies. All I've got to do is
0:01:38 > 0:01:42make sure I get my hands on them before they go in the skips.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Sarah has special permission to rummage about for four items
0:01:48 > 0:01:50she can transform and things are hotting up.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56That is not the only busy bee round here.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57This place is buzzing.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Sarah's spoilt for choice, but she's honing in on Lydia and her chair.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06You after a sit-down, Sarah?
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- I love this.- Oh, thank you. - Have you had it for long?
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I've had it for a long time, yes. It belonged to my family.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17It was passed down to me. It was actually my great aunt's.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20So you've had enough of it. It's not fitting in at home any more.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24It's been in my garage. I'm quite sentimental about these things, but I've just been trying to clear out.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Today was the day I thought, I'm going to have to do something about it, so I brought it here.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32- Who's got the white cat?- It's me.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35She's like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38I would love to be able to take it away and see if I could do something with it.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Would that be all right?- That would be wonderful. It really would.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45- Thank you so much for letting me have that.- Thank you.- Really nice to have met you.- And you.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Sarah certainly seems pleased with her jolly green armchair,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50but what do Lydia and Kate think will become of it?
0:02:50 > 0:02:54I suppose, in some ways, it's kind of quite a blank canvas, isn't it?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- Yeah.- So...- Maybe some really nice fabric?- Yeah.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59- Just completely modernise it. - I haven't an...
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I haven't a clue really.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04SHE LAUGHS
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Such a sweet little chair.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09It's got loads of period detail, lovely little cabriole legs, fat,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11chunky arms and a really good look.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13I've got just the person in mind who will give it
0:03:13 > 0:03:17the real kick that it needs to turn this into a money-maker.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Anthony Devine is one of the UK's most talented teachers
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and practitioners of upholstery skills.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32First thing I see in a room is a chair.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35When I go round to people's houses, I look for quality,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I look to see what I would do differently.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Some chairs look like they are almost kind of destined for the tip,
0:03:45 > 0:03:50but if you see one ounce of kind of potential, then save it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I suppose it is a bit of a love affair I have with chairs.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57They're very beautiful things.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00That's maybe the case for some chairs, Anthony, but you've not
0:04:00 > 0:04:04seen what Sarah's saved for you.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Well, who else was I going to bring this little beauty to?
0:04:07 > 0:04:09It's come to Manchester for a makeover.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12We've saved it from a skip, and now we want it to look lovely again.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Let's go and see what he thinks.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- I just hope he likes it.- Anthony!
0:04:18 > 0:04:21- Hey! How are you doing? - There she is!
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- Nice!- It's good, isn't it?- Yes.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- Shall we get it in?- He really does love chairs, doesn't he?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38- It's not too bad.- No, it's good! Good sign of quality. Good weight.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Yeah, yeah.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43HE SIGHS
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- It's good.- It is, isn't it? - Yeah, it's good.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I have had some ideas about it.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51I was wondering about making it look like something else.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- Not too radical, but a bit of a play.- Yeah.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Because of the style of the chair and it's going to sit in a
0:04:58 > 0:05:01corner of a room and the rest of the house might be all nice
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and safe, there's an opportunity,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09an opportunity to give it a little bit of something.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Just leave it with us. We'll do a sympathetic restoration underneath
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and something big and bold on the top of it.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Sounds like this chair is in for a special treat.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25But just how much is big and bold going to cost?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- 500 quid as a budget...- OK.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31..would be, like, kind of get it all done.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34If it takes more, it's not going to be much more.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36If it's less, you can have it back.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- 500 quid, you know, I trust you implicitly.- Absolutely.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- I know you can do something bonkers with it.- You never know.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Well, I do know because I've been here before.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49You slash things, you stab them, you spray-paint them, you know,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- I just can't wait to see what you're going to do with it.- Me neither.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- You're deeply worrying.- Absolutely. I've got this one in the bag.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57As a trusted member of the team,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Anthony's earned his creative freedom with this one.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03But will Sarah live to regret it?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Today, modern interiors,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09they're all just getting a bit bland and boring and it's all very tonal.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12We want something to be in the corner kind of screaming and
0:06:12 > 0:06:15shouting, "Look at me!" and probably you would never sit on it,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19but we want you to appreciate it and that's what we're trying to do
0:06:19 > 0:06:20with this chair.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24I'm really intrigued about what he's going to do with that chair, and
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I can't wait to come back to find out if he's had a good idea or not.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32A budget of £500 for a chair which, when finished,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36will look like...um...no idea.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40I just hope that whatever Anthony does, Sarah can sell it.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49To scoop up our next item,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Sarah has toddled along to the Whitley recycling centre in Surrey.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Where she's hoping her next item will be a knockout.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Behave!
0:07:03 > 0:07:05I love it down here, everyone's so nice.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Don't let that sweet smile fool you.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12If being nice doesn't get her what she wants...
0:07:14 > 0:07:16..she's willing to get nasty.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Hand over your rubbish.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Better put that back before somebody sees me.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34Can Sarah turn the clutter in Xena and husband Tim's boot into cash?
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- What are you doing, clearing out or moving?- Yes.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- We've moved and we've still got a lot of stuff to get rid of. - Really?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46I quite like your enamelware but I'm interested in your chairs.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- Right. Yes.- Have you had them long?- A long time.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I've had them years and years and nobody has ever liked them.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57We've tried to eBay them. And still nobody wants them.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01I think they've got that retro look that people quite like.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Maybe we should keep them, then.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I think you should give them to me and you should see if I can
0:08:06 > 0:08:09make something exciting out of them for you.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11You're welcome to have them.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Xena may have failed to flog the chairs but that adds to the
0:08:14 > 0:08:15challenge for Sarah.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19How she intends to make them over, though, I've no idea.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22I'm bamboozled.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27- Thank you so much letting me have those.- Look forward to seeing them.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Lovely, I'll keep in touch. Bye-bye. Thank you ever so much.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Is Xena happy her chairs skipped the skip?
0:08:35 > 0:08:36I think that's brilliant,
0:08:36 > 0:08:42it's much better to recycle and I did feel a bit guilty bringing them.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Maybe if they can be refreshed, they'll have a new life.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Ta-da!
0:08:47 > 0:08:50No? Not your cup of tea?
0:08:50 > 0:08:52I think they've got some potential, they just need
0:08:52 > 0:08:57a little bit of love, a bit of TLC and I'm sure they're going to turn a profit.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Sarah knows just the fella to help her turn potential into profit.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Jay Blades has a passion for classic British craftsmanship,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13and adding a little va-va-voom to vintage furniture.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15If you want to have a go at what I do,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17your best bet is to find a piece of furniture that isn't really
0:09:17 > 0:09:20worth that much money, you might have bought it down the charity shop
0:09:20 > 0:09:22or a car-boot sale for about £5,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and just play around with it.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Jay has his finger on the pulse of contemporary interior design.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Reworking the very best of British craftsmanship and bringing it
0:09:33 > 0:09:35bang up-to-date.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Some people like working with spray cans,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39some people like working with artists' brushes,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43whatever your creativity is, just draw it out and allow it to
0:09:43 > 0:09:45just ooze onto the furniture because the reality is,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49that furniture was more than likely going to go into a landfill site so
0:09:49 > 0:09:55you upcycling it gives that piece of furniture an extended lifetime.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02Well, I for one can't wait to see Jay ooze his creativity all over
0:10:02 > 0:10:04these '80s gems.
0:10:06 > 0:10:12These two are a classic 1980s conservatory pair of chairs.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17And they are going to need all of Jay's imagination and ingenuity
0:10:17 > 0:10:20to turn them into something saleable and desirable.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25I have never seen Jay work with anything like this before
0:10:25 > 0:10:27so I hope he takes them on.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33I can't think of a safer pair of hands for this pair of chairs.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35You like to set a challenge for me, don't you?
0:10:35 > 0:10:40I do, but I know you will rise to the challenge, that's why I can bring things like this to you
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and I just know you're going to make them look special.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48I'm hoping with a bit of colour and maybe some fantastic upholstery,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50we might be able to create something
0:10:50 > 0:10:53that has a reasonable amount of value to it.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Yeah. I have worked with bamboo before and yes, you're quite right,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01with a bit of colour and a lovely fabric on there, it should
0:11:01 > 0:11:03be able to bring these right up-to-date.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07But I've never done this before. It's going to be cool.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11These chairs are a brave new world for Jay.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15He's agreed a budget of £140 for the pair.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19I can't think of a better man to maximise the bang for those bucks.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23In terms of what I've got to spend on them,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27I'm slightly maybe capping your creativity by the budget.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31If you could hit it as hard as you can on that budget, pack a punch,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33see what you can do for that money, that would be fantastic.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- OK, cool.- You take care.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Well, I think I was right in thinking that those chairs
0:11:45 > 0:11:48are not right up Jay's street, but he's going to take them on and if
0:11:48 > 0:11:52anybody can make a couple of duds into something desirable, it's Mr Blades.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01My brain is thinking, what am I going to do, what am I going to do?
0:12:01 > 0:12:05I'm thinking of a load of different colours, and also just how
0:12:05 > 0:12:08to work with bamboo, as I said, I've never done this before.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Well, Sarah's done it to me today, I must admit.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Even I would like to see how these turn out!
0:12:15 > 0:12:16Jay has £140 budget
0:12:16 > 0:12:21to transform these '80s throwbacks from dated to desirable.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Back in Manchester, Anthony has an extra pair of helping hands
0:12:30 > 0:12:32in the form of his assistant, Tom,
0:12:32 > 0:12:37who specialises in making furniture frames.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40So what I'm thinking with this chair is quotes,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43so the wise words of Winston Churchill...
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Yes.- ..British and all, icon.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Never, never, never, not Rick Astley...
0:12:52 > 0:12:55..give up, Sir Winston Churchill.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Yeah. I like it. Maybe a cigar holder to go in the arm.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- For extra...- Extra authenticity. - Yes, Churchillicity.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Anthony plans to use the paper stencils to work out
0:13:08 > 0:13:12the placement of three well-known quotations...
0:13:12 > 0:13:13Give us a V!
0:13:13 > 0:13:19- V!- ..all spoken by one of Britain's most influential leaders.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I mean, this is possibly the worst job in the world for me.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I cannot spell to save my life, but these are all good words.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26I'm all right with this.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31Winston Churchill became Prime Minister on 10th May 1940,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35and the quotations Anthony has chosen were all spoken
0:13:35 > 0:13:36during a time of conflict.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41They helped to inspire the nation onto victory in World War II.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43I've managed to spell hell wrong.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Hell is spelt with two Ls, Es.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Heel. See if you get through heel!
0:13:50 > 0:13:52HE LAUGHS
0:13:52 > 0:13:54If you're going through eel.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57HE LAUGHS
0:13:57 > 0:13:59- Right, go on. - It's a place in Yorkshire.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Once the boys know the quotations will fit on the chair,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06the next stage is to lay them out on brown paper that will later
0:14:06 > 0:14:09be photographed and printed onto fabric,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12giving the appearance of the chair being wrapped.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15The quotations are being sprayed onto the paper to give
0:14:15 > 0:14:18a stencilled graffiti-look.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21This is the al fresco part of the operation.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23- Has it worked?- Yeah!
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Yes! That's what we want, isn't it?
0:14:25 > 0:14:29- Yeah, that's all right. - OK, good job.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Good job, me.- Well done, Tom. Now, crack on.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43The next day, Anthony has received the finished fabric with
0:14:43 > 0:14:48stencilled quotes which was printed overnight. It's the moment of truth.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49Has it worked?
0:14:50 > 0:14:54So this is printed onto like a moleskin velvet,
0:14:54 > 0:14:59so this is an upholstery grade fire-retardant fabric.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01In terms of happiness, I love it.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05I mean I actually, genuinely, love it.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06I... Yeah.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09We've blitzed the budget.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11HE LAUGHS
0:15:11 > 0:15:15It's always daunting because we have absolutely no room for error.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18And I, like, sometimes we can play around with things but this
0:15:18 > 0:15:23time the printers are already closed, Sarah is due in the morning.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25It's going to be another late one.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Anthony is known for his last-minute makeovers,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30but this is perhaps his most ambitious.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34He's already stripped the chair, but has to build it back up
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and cover it, making sure the quotes are positioned inch-perfect.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- No room for error on this one.- OK.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47- Have a look.- That is a solid seven out of ten.- Thanks.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53I don't know why you gave me the job in the first place, to be honest.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- Yeah.- Yes, thanks for that, boss. - Yeah. You're welcome.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58So, this is elasticated.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03And this gives us the suspension.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05With the fabric secured to the arms,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Anthony now has to rebuild the seat and the back of the chair.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12He starts with the elasticated webbing.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16So, basically,
0:16:16 > 0:16:21because the tension that I'm pulling this under, to get the
0:16:21 > 0:16:27kind of suspension in the back, this rail is starting to twist, so...
0:16:28 > 0:16:30It's going to have to be changed.
0:16:31 > 0:16:37So where's the right quote? Here we are. "Never, never, never give up."
0:16:38 > 0:16:40And if you're going through hell...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44..keep going.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50So here the danger is that obviously we'd have done this
0:16:50 > 0:16:52before we'd have got any of the fabric on.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55But you never quite know these things until you get them.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01It is late. The printers are closed. Sarah's coming.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Normally, in normal circumstances,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07we would leave this for a few hours to dry.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11We don't have seconds, let alone hours so...
0:17:13 > 0:17:17We'll clamp it and just work round it.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21I think another famous wartime quote is apt at this point.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23"Keep calm, Anthony, and carry on."
0:17:31 > 0:17:33In Wolverhampton, in Jay's workshop,
0:17:33 > 0:17:38there's been big changes to the bamboo chairs.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41They look cool.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Jay has had them spray-painted by an expert technician to ensure
0:17:45 > 0:17:47a pristine, smooth finish.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51So, these chairs,
0:17:51 > 0:17:56Sarah brought them in to us with just a plain kind of bamboo look,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00and what I've done is I have sent these to a spray guy
0:18:00 > 0:18:01to get them sprayed.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04The contrast that I want to create is the chair looks beautiful
0:18:04 > 0:18:09and black, but then I want a distressed bit, where here,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11it looks as if it's dripping with paint.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Jay is going to add a coloured motif using gold spray paint -
0:18:17 > 0:18:20if he doesn't like it, he can't undo it,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24as removing the gold paint would damage the perfect black finish.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I don't normally use spray paint and stuff like that,
0:18:29 > 0:18:30so one's feeling a bit nervous.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34What I'm going to go for is do a bit of a test run first of all.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40When using spray paint, it's important to work in
0:18:40 > 0:18:44a well-ventilated area, wearing the appropriate safety gear.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46That is quite cool.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49And that's exactly what I want.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50It drips down.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Test run, a success. It's time for the real deal.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00I only get one chance at this and it has to look good.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Because once I put the paint onto there, that's it,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I've got no more chances to rub it out or go over it again.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17I'm nervous just watching.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18It's a one-shot deal,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22so here's hoping Jay achieves the element of distressed grandeur
0:19:22 > 0:19:23he's after.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38I said you only get one chance at it, and the one chance I've got,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I don't like it!
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Oh, he's made a right old mess of that.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Sarah's now returned to Manchester to see the bold makeover
0:19:51 > 0:19:56Anthony's been promising, if he's managed to finish it, of course.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01This chair, as complicated as it was, that was kind of our own doing.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05We could have went simple but we chose to basically utilise
0:20:05 > 0:20:09all the skills of all the staff here. Everybody's loving it.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Everybody loves it for the impact.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Yeah, so hopefully, when she arrives, she's going to love it too.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Well, Anthony was being really quite secretive about my little chair
0:20:20 > 0:20:24when I dropped it off, so I'm dying to see what he's done with it.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I've left him 500 quid's worth of budget and I know one thing,
0:20:27 > 0:20:28it won't be dull.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32When Sarah collected the old chair at the tip,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34it had certainly passed its best.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41As Churchill himself said,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45"There's nothing wrong with change if it's in the right direction."
0:20:45 > 0:20:50And Anthony has certainly changed the direction of this old chair.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Covered in iconic quotes, hand-designed and digitally printed
0:20:54 > 0:20:58on velvet fabric, this chair is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Anthony promised bold and he's delivered. But will Sarah like it?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07- Hiya.- Hello. And welcome to the war bunker.- How are you doing?
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- I'm very good.- Where is it, then?
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- It's...- What have you done to it? Dare I look?
0:21:13 > 0:21:15SHE GASPS
0:21:15 > 0:21:16Hey!
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Anthony Devine.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23What an original piece of design!
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Basically, we wanted to do something, just something,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- you gave us a bit of artistic licence...- Yeah.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32And we gave you this back.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Um, so we went from taking the chair, we positioned all the
0:21:36 > 0:21:38letters up, stencilled it all out,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40worked out roughly where it was going to go,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43then we went and stencilled and sprayed them all up
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and then had it all photographed,
0:21:45 > 0:21:51sent it off to our printers and then out she popped, or he popped.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56This is a lovely transformation, but 500 quid?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Have you blown that out of the water?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Well, let's just say the 500 quid,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- we owe another 20 quid just to the fabric printers.- Right.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10- This isn't sounding...- No, no. - This isn't sounding very commercial.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15- I'm just going to say 750. There, I've said it.- How much?- 750 quid.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Yeah, a little bit over-budget but I can tell why, and I appreciate
0:22:18 > 0:22:20the fact that you really went to town on it,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24- because it is very cool. - Thanks.- Really good! Love it!
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Sarah seemed to take that very well, considering it's £250 above
0:22:29 > 0:22:34- the original budget.- Wow, that chair is anything but dull, isn't it?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And beautiful. Not cheap, because that's because of all that hard work
0:22:37 > 0:22:39that's gone into it.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I love the fact that Anthony's had free rein to create something
0:22:42 > 0:22:44that's unique that could have ended up in a skip.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50When Sarah spotted Lydia dropping off the old green chair,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52it certainly had some history.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54It belonged to my family.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57It was passed down to me. It was actually my great aunt's.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Sarah chose to save it from the skip and allowed Anthony free rein to
0:23:01 > 0:23:02do whatever he liked.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08The inspirational armchair was quickly snapped up by Nick Smith,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10a regular client of Sarah's,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14who's an online vintage and retro retailer.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15It's nice and comfy.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Sarah has returned to the Altrincham area to show Lydia what
0:23:21 > 0:23:23became of the old green chair.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- Hi, Lydia. How are you doing?- Hi. Nice to see you again.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- And you, and you. Beautiful day, isn't it?- Oh, gorgeous.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Um, now, last time I saw you, I loved what you were dropping off
0:23:39 > 0:23:41- at the tip when I saw you. - I'm very pleased.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So your old...was it your, did you say it was your great aunt's?
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Well, I thought it was my great aunt's but actually it was my
0:23:47 > 0:23:50great grandparents' which was then passed on to my great aunt.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Yeah, it's got quite a lot of history, so I'm really intrigued to
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- find out what's happened.- It was a lovely shape, your little chair.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00And it was something that didn't travel very far, actually.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03We took it to Anthony Devine who teaches upholstery and is a
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- fantastic upholsterer in Manchester. - Fantastic. Oh, brill.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Yeah, so he loved it. I've actually got some pictures here to show you.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13- Brilliant.- Would you like to have a look?- I can't wait to have a look.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Well, you said it had a lot of history to it.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Well, he's added even more because your chair is now looking like that.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Oh, wow! That's fantastic.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- So he took Winston Churchill as his inspiration.- Brilliant.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- He created all the fabric...- Oh, wow.- He stencilled it all himself.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31That is amazing. That is so good. That's brilliant.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I love the kind of history link as well. It's fantastic.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Excellent, well, I'm really pleased that you like it cos as
0:24:37 > 0:24:39a family piece, there is always that worry that we might do
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- something to it that you might not approve of.- Yeah, yeah.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- So, good news is other people did too, and it sold.- Oh, wow.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Oh, that's brilliant!
0:24:48 > 0:24:53I have £75 here which is profit from your armchair.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Oh, that's super, thank you very much. Oh, that's brilliant.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58I'm going to give it to an animal charity.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01You know, that's what I'm going to do, definitely.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02I've got one in mind. I am, yes.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05That's lovely, that's really, really sweet.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It's a little chunk of money that hopefully will be useful.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- Definitely. Definitely.- Thank you so much for letting us have it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Thank you very much.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Oh, it's an absolute pleasure and a lovely cause for that. Thank you.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- Lovely to meet you.- And you. - Bye-bye. Bye-bye.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Anthony charged £750 for the transformation
0:25:27 > 0:25:29of the old green armchair.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Sarah managed to sell it for 825, which left
0:25:33 > 0:25:36a profit of £75 to return to Lydia.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Well, Lydia loved Anthony's Winston Churchill historical
0:25:40 > 0:25:41connection with her chair,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and that animal charity has a very generous £75 donation coming.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Welcome to Walsall Recycling Centre -
0:25:54 > 0:25:56a nonstop hive of activity.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03But Sarah's struggling to find her next item,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and the day is drawing to a close.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11Luckily, David and son Matt appear for an evening trip to the tip,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12and they've got a tonne of timber.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19- Hiya.- Hello.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23What is that and what's it doing here?
0:26:23 > 0:26:25This is a Victorian solid mahogany wardrobe.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- That weighs a tonne, no doubt. - It does, yes.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31And have you got all the bits that make it into the wardrobe?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- Every single bit. - That's amazing.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Why has it ended up here? Is it yours?- We're moving house.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Right. And have you had it a long-time?
0:26:37 > 0:26:38Was it in the family or...?
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Bought it in Stafford 20 years ago, 30 years ago.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44It looks useful. The right size.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- You can have it. Do you want it? - I want it.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51I'm going to really regret this cos I know it's really heavy.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53I'm going to be moving this around forever.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56If I get hold of it, it may not end up as a wardrobe.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- Great. You can do whatever you want. - Really?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- Of course.- OK. And it's all solid wood, isn't it?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04OK, let's see the rest of it then.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09I believe our Sarah is most excited about this one.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11That's all right. That's nice. I like that.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15I've just realised what it's in.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17I was so busy looking at that wardrobe,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I didn't realise it was in a car.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Sorry. I was mesmerised.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24And more of the wardrobe just keeps appearing
0:27:24 > 0:27:27out of David's Tardis-like vehicle.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Let's get it out of your car and into my van
0:27:29 > 0:27:33and I will do my best to make something beautiful out of it.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Or at least know a man who will.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It's a really nice bit of... You know, really nice bit of woodwork.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44And is David happy for Sarah to be radical with his old wardrobe?
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I'd be delighted if she could do something with it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52There's so much potential here and some of the detail looks
0:27:52 > 0:27:55absolutely beautiful. I know who to take it to. I just don't know
0:27:55 > 0:27:57what they're going to do with it.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Norman Wilkinson, a master of his craft.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06With 25 years' experience in the furniture-making business,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09what he doesn't know about wood isn't worth knowing.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11I love the timber, I love the finishing of it,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15I love the product. It's everything. It makes me tick.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Yeah, there is a passion for it cos there's no point getting up
0:28:18 > 0:28:20in the morning and not doing something you like.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Coming in and then picking up the wood and then turning it
0:28:23 > 0:28:26into something lovely, you know, makes me happy.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Another man's rubbish, in this instance,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31is a couple of old doors and bits of random wood.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Bet you can't wait to get your hands on this little lot, Norman.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37And also, using second-hand materials, it's a great joy.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41The old saying, another man's rubbish is another man's...
0:28:41 > 0:28:43I can think of the saying now.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46Lost for words, Norman?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Just wait till you see the pile of jumble junk Sarah's got for you.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56I have no idea how to put this thing back together.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58It's just like the biggest jigsaw.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Plenty of it to work with, though, isn't there?
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- Norman? Hello.- How are you? - Really well. How are you doing?
0:29:07 > 0:29:08Yeah. Nice to see you again.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Right, let's get this one out.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Now that's all inside, what's the plan?
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Often I have this, like, massive vision
0:29:19 > 0:29:20about how something will end up.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24This, there's just so much of it, so much potential, it's just a case
0:29:24 > 0:29:27of finding what would you really want to do with it?
0:29:27 > 0:29:30- I'm thinking maybe a locker. - OK, so you're saying locker,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32so we're talking about leaving it upright like this.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Upright as it is.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36So if we keep the drawers in cos people love drawers
0:29:36 > 0:29:39and they're always so functional. So we leave the drawers in.
0:29:39 > 0:29:40Shall we stick them in? Just so I can kind of...
0:29:40 > 0:29:45- Yeah, let's stick them in and see where we go.- OK, let's have a bit.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Norman will concentrate on renovating the main body of
0:29:48 > 0:29:51the wardrobe. He thinks it could become a much more
0:29:51 > 0:29:54contemporary storage unit.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Because it's quite deep, we could...
0:29:56 > 0:29:59slice it back a fraction so it gives it the proportion then we
0:29:59 > 0:30:03could put in three doors, maybe, and then keep them
0:30:03 > 0:30:07individual little compartments and then put a plinth back on it,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09make a nice little cornice for it.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12So it sounds like it's quite a complicated process.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Do you think it will chuck up any problems?
0:30:14 > 0:30:16I think the only problem we'll have is once we
0:30:16 > 0:30:20decide where we're going to cut it, we have one go and one go only,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22and if we get it wrong,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25we'll be sticking things back on all over the place.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28That doesn't sound completely ideal.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Measure twice, cut once. Golden rule.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33OK, I can see you've got a very clear vision about how this is
0:30:33 > 0:30:36going to look and I'm happy to say, hand it over to you.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41But what sort of budget will Norman need for this bold venture?
0:30:41 > 0:30:44To get that into how I think it's going to look fantastic,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46I think it's going to cost you 375.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I think I'm going to make some money on that.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52I think you will as well. It's going to look great. Absolutely superb.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53Thank you.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57So our Norman will get cracking,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01making sure to measure twice before he cuts any corners.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06That massive wardrobe is going to get a massive transformation.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08I love the idea that Norman's come up with
0:31:08 > 0:31:10and he knows this business.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12It's going to be an exciting project and I think,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16you know, let's get on with it and see how we get on.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17Fantastic.
0:31:17 > 0:31:18Fantastic, yes.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22Norman has a budget of £375
0:31:22 > 0:31:25but converting that broken-down wardrobe
0:31:25 > 0:31:27into a modern and useful storage unit
0:31:27 > 0:31:31might challenge even his carpentry skills.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42In Wolverhampton, at Jay's workshop...
0:31:42 > 0:31:45he's getting prepped for Sarah's arrival
0:31:45 > 0:31:48to give the thumbs up or down to his handiwork.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57It is perhaps no surprise that those two bamboo chairs were
0:31:57 > 0:32:00destined for the tip. They're short on style and, even though
0:32:00 > 0:32:04there is a little bit of bamboo and wicker creeping back into fashion,
0:32:04 > 0:32:06they just didn't have the look. But I'm hoping, with all
0:32:06 > 0:32:10Jay's skills, he's managed to make them look desirable and saleable.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Has Jay succeeded in transforming these '80s chairs?
0:32:21 > 0:32:24He's added a dash of contemporary panache.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32The addition of the floral fabric adds a timeless classic quality.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45And with the deep cushion, well, that just looks, oh, so comfy.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52And as for that drippy, distressed motif,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55it's now a golden glint down one side.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57A stylish touch.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04For Sarah's viewing, Jay's hiding the floral design.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06He's such a tease.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14- How are things? - Very good. Very good.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- Good?- They're different. They're different.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19They ARE different.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Uh-oh. Is that different good or different bad?
0:33:23 > 0:33:27That's just... This is the bottom fabric, if that makes sense.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30OK. Are you saying there is another dimension?
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Oh, yeah. There's another dimension. We've got to turn them over.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Different good. Excellent.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49Great, thanks, lovely. I'll take those. They're cool.
0:33:49 > 0:33:50- You like them, yeah? - Yeah, there are good.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53They're really good. They're strong and they were weak,
0:33:53 > 0:33:55and that is amazing to achieve that.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57And you got a real chunk of comfort.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Chunk of a cushion there. Chunk of a cushion.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04The problem I had before is when you sit on them, the bamboo,
0:34:04 > 0:34:09really, it comes through the thin cushion and, personally,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12I really like the fabric, I must say. It's really, really nice.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16I haven't gone for this print right in the centre because there's so
0:34:16 > 0:34:19much going on here. I thought, "Do it a little bit off-centre."
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Similar with that one as well.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Rather than use the fabric in exactly the same way
0:34:24 > 0:34:27everybody would, it's just doing it a little bit off-centre,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29which makes it look really, really cool, I think.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33They look classy, they look designer, and they look expensive.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36They do look expensive, I must admit.
0:34:36 > 0:34:3970 quid each we left on them. Did they come in on budget?
0:34:39 > 0:34:43Bang on budget. £70 each, yeah. It looks really, really expensive.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46I really do like them. I never really liked them when you brought
0:34:46 > 0:34:50- them in. I thought they were horrible.- They were horrible?!
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- Yeah. - He's dissing my skip finds again.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55- I don't shop for my stuff, OK? - I know you don't.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00I drag it kicking and screaming off a recycling centre.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02So...I love what you've done to them.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I think you've given them every chance of going back
0:35:05 > 0:35:08into somebody's house and being loved again.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- Thank you.- Nailed it again, mate. Right, thanks for that.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14That's a job well done, Jay.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19These chairs are as exciting as I could possibly have hoped for.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22They have got heaps of character now.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26They are crispy, clean, exciting things that I can sell
0:35:26 > 0:35:28and hopefully make some money on.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35Xena was moving home and clearing out when Sarah spied this pair.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40I had them years and years and years and nobody's ever liked them.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43I think you should give them to me and you should see
0:35:43 > 0:35:46if I can make something exciting out of them for you.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48It's much better to recycle
0:35:48 > 0:35:50and I did feel a bit guilty bringing them
0:35:50 > 0:35:55but maybe if they can be refreshed they will have a new life.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57And that's exactly what happened.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05With a striking new look, who better to offer them to but Nick,
0:36:05 > 0:36:07who also bought Anthony's chair?
0:36:09 > 0:36:11And, you know what? He snapped them up.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Now Sarah's going to tell Xena the good news.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22- Hi there.- Oh, hello. Hi, good to see you.- And you. So this...
0:36:22 > 0:36:25This is where you are moving to when I saw you at the tip.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - How did it go?
0:36:26 > 0:36:29You said you had loads of bits that you were clearing out.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32We did. We've spent all summer whittling it down
0:36:32 > 0:36:34and finally we're all sorted now.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Your chairs went all the way to Wolverhampton
0:36:36 > 0:36:39to a fantastic guy called Jay Blades who specialises in taking furniture
0:36:39 > 0:36:42like yours and giving it a whole new lease of life.
0:36:42 > 0:36:43I've got some pictures to show you.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46I'd love to see it.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48- How about that? - Wow. That looks amazing.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Oh, gosh. They're so different. They're lovely.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55For some reason, I thought they were going to be a sort of khaki colour.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58I don't know why I didn't expect them to be black.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01The cushion pads are absolutely beautiful. Really lovely fabric.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04They're really comfortable as well. They put big, squashy covers on.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06They were really... They had quite thin pads
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and, after a while, they were a bit sort of...
0:37:08 > 0:37:10That ten-minute chair where you want to stand up again.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13They're not like that now and they're lovely. And they have been
0:37:13 > 0:37:16bought by a retro shop and I've got a little bit of profit to hand over.
0:37:16 > 0:37:22- You're joking. That's so good. - So there is £25...
0:37:22 > 0:37:24£5 there and 20 quid there.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28That's not bad for some old junk. Thank you very much.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30What might you do with that little...?
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Well, I don't think we'll need to buy any more chairs but it'll
0:37:33 > 0:37:36probably go towards something else that we need here
0:37:36 > 0:37:37- so that's very helpful. - Lovely.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39OK, well, really great to catch up.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Thank you very much for letting me have your chairs.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43- You're welcome.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Jay charged Sarah £140.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51She sold them for £165,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53giving £25 profit to Xena.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08With two items selling for a profit, we're on a roll.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Sarah has just one more item to find before she heads for home
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and it'll be one she works on herself.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19What people throw away drives me nuts.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21See? Wing nut. Get it?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Will you get on with it?
0:38:23 > 0:38:27Sure enough, she soon spots Les, whose boot full of bags
0:38:27 > 0:38:30is like a lucky dip to our Sarah.
0:38:30 > 0:38:31Talk me through what's in here.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Anything I might be interested in? What's in there?
0:38:34 > 0:38:39Haven't got a clue. Just take it out and have a look.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- I might like some of this stuff. - It's up to you, love.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- You take what you want. - These are quite sweet.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47- What's that?- All the coat hangers.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Only Sarah could get so excited about a load of old hangers.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Hopefully she can find something just a bit more interesting.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57There seems to be a coat hanger theme going on here.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02- Well, it looks that way, doesn't it? - Oh, my word. More?- Ridiculous.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07Les is sorting through his recently departed uncle's belongings.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09- How old was he? - He was 90-odd.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11And he just loved hoarding things, did he?
0:39:11 > 0:39:13- Well, that's what people do, isn't it?- I do.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Les isn't one for standing around chatting so it's up to Sarah
0:39:16 > 0:39:20to see if she can dig out anything other than hangers.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Oh, there goes Les.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24It's like being underneath a Christmas tree in here.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29There you go, kids. Bags of hangers. Merry Christmas.
0:39:29 > 0:39:30Lovely. Well, thank you very much
0:39:30 > 0:39:32for letting me have a little rummage.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35If I find anything interesting, can I keep in touch?
0:39:35 > 0:39:38- You can do what you want. - Oh, lovely.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Les clearly has a lot to get through
0:39:40 > 0:39:46so Sarah's grabbed a few choice bags for a longer rummage on her own.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47Oh, wow.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49Look in here.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Let me guess, more hangers.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Metres and metres of old fabric.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02It's quite narrow. That means it's old.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Anything that's 30 inches wide, old fabric,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08is sort of 1940s from when they made things on a narrow loom.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11I think there's huge potential here to turn a profit
0:40:11 > 0:40:13and I'd love to have a go at making some projects out of this.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And, with that, the tip hunt is over.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28At her home in Sussex, our material girl Sarah's
0:40:28 > 0:40:30itching to get started
0:40:30 > 0:40:34on that bundle of old cloth she unravelled earlier.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Having a whole bundle like this is really exciting.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42It's really lovely stuff so I'm planning to turn this lot
0:40:42 > 0:40:44into fantastic scarves,
0:40:44 > 0:40:49those big, wraparound ones that are really commercial at the moment.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51First, she carefully measures the...
0:40:51 > 0:40:54I'm just going to make up the size. There's so much fabric here.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Oh, no, my mistake. First, she grabs some scissors,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00makes an educated guess and starts cutting.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03Perfect.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Oof, lucky guess.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10And, after another hour or so, she's very accurately chopped up the lot.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Right, so, there's 15 scarves here.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15So I'm going to go and get these
0:41:15 > 0:41:16through the washing machine
0:41:16 > 0:41:18and then get them dyed.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26I can't wait to see what these look like in different colours.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Sarah's using off-the-shelf cold water dyes.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31With just some water and salt,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34you can create vibrant, colourfast tones.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37You can dye pretty much any natural fabric with these powders.
0:41:37 > 0:41:38Come to help?
0:41:38 > 0:41:41She's aiming for a range of vibrant spring colours...
0:41:43 > 0:41:45..some of which are working really well.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46That's looking hot.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Others...less so.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49That's so not blue.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It's supposed to be ocean blue.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55As it happens, I quite like the purple.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57It's going to be all right.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58Time for green.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03I'm not sure I'm quite ready for tropical green. That's really green.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Sarah adds a little yellow dye
0:42:06 > 0:42:11for a less Incredible Hulk and more halcyon springtime feel.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Now that's a proper spring green. Kind of looks like moss.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Bramble's adding her own distressed look.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Oh, make yourself at home on the silk, Bramble(!)
0:42:21 > 0:42:24That's how it's done commercially, you know.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30After a quick dry and iron, it's time for the fiddly bit.
0:42:30 > 0:42:31So this is where the fun really begins.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Lots of little details on it.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34Go to town with tassels and ribbons
0:42:34 > 0:42:37and make them all have their own personality, really.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Sarah's going to roll the edges of the scarves and add some
0:42:40 > 0:42:42colourful embellishments.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Snip little sections
0:42:44 > 0:42:46so they're about that long.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49Wrap it really tightly round and then tie it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52And then I can just sew a little line of those
0:42:52 > 0:42:55along some of the ends of the scarves.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57I think this is going to take ages
0:42:57 > 0:42:59but all these fantastic colours together,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02I think they're going to sell.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06That's one tassel done. Just another 300 or so to go.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09If only Bramble could lend a paw.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14Sarah's spent just £10 so far on these three packs of dye but,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16with so much sewing to get through,
0:43:16 > 0:43:20she'll have to enlist some help, which will all add to her costs.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Back in Hellingly in the East Sussex countryside,
0:43:28 > 0:43:32Norman is about to tackle the enormous mahogany wardrobe
0:43:32 > 0:43:37and he is keenly aware that Sarah's left him a challenging job.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39In the Victorian times,
0:43:39 > 0:43:41they could spend a year making a piece of furniture.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43It really wouldn't matter.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46But, you know, like with us, you know, we've got a certain limit
0:43:46 > 0:43:49and we have to work to it so, yeah, a little bit under pressure.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51You know, that's modern-day for you.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Pressure, pressure, pressure.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57To keep his labour costs within Sarah's budget,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Norman needs to work fast but carefully.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04I think as long as we think about what we're doing, we should be OK.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06You know. One of those ones.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Like we always say, measure twice, cut once.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13I've heard that somewhere before, Norman.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18He plans to cut the bulky wardrobe down to more manageable proportions.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21First of all, he's removing the back panel.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26The screws do not want to come out.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28Or at least he's trying.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30I think I might have to get a hacksaw on there.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Bingo. That's that one.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Oh, dear.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41The mahogany wardrobe is made from a tropical hardwood,
0:44:41 > 0:44:44a popular material used for quality furniture
0:44:44 > 0:44:46back when this was made...
0:44:46 > 0:44:49which was quite a while ago.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52This is the problem sometimes of using reclaimed,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56you can't get the screws out, so we have to make a decision on if
0:44:56 > 0:45:00we can't save it then we might just put a new back on it.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Yeah, that one's snapped as well. So...
0:45:03 > 0:45:04Just this one now.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09Oh!
0:45:09 > 0:45:13But with a little bit of elbow grease...
0:45:13 > 0:45:18That's all right. We haven't snapped the joint so...we're in business.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21..the back comes off relatively cleanly.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Excellent. Very good news.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25The dilemma now is that it's too wide.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28I've got to decide how much we're actually going to cut off it.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30And that is a tricky question.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- Nearly. - HE LAUGHS
0:45:33 > 0:45:35There's only a half inch in it. Inch.
0:45:37 > 0:45:38That can be quite critical.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Know what I mean?
0:45:41 > 0:45:44I've no idea what you're referring to, Norman.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47We're going to take four and a half inches off.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49That decision made,
0:45:49 > 0:45:53it's nearly time to fire up Norman's circular table saw.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57That should make short work of cutting the wardrobe down to size.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00But he's only got one chance to get it right.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02I've just got to make sure when I'm cutting, I don't wobble off
0:46:02 > 0:46:04the line and things like that.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Let's not talk about it.
0:46:07 > 0:46:08Good luck, Norman.
0:46:11 > 0:46:12I can hardly watch.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22The blade could have done with being slightly higher. I'm going to do it again.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24What was the golden rule, Norman?
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Measure once, cut twice, was it?
0:46:30 > 0:46:34This mahogany monster looks like it has a long way to go before
0:46:34 > 0:46:37Sarah has anything worth selling.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52At Sarah's home, those scarves are being finished off.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55Having already tussled with her tassels for hours on end,
0:46:55 > 0:46:59she's enlisted the help of her sometime assistant Ian,
0:46:59 > 0:47:01among others, to get them all done.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07As she's aiming for a high-end product and high-end price tag
0:47:07 > 0:47:10to match, she's confident that spending
0:47:10 > 0:47:13a bit on labour won't take too much out of the profits.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20- See, look, a tassel on each corner. - Beautiful. So what do you reckon
0:47:20 > 0:47:25one can charge for a hand-tasselled, hand-dyed scarf?
0:47:25 > 0:47:30Sarah's chosen the best 12 pieces of material to finish and soon
0:47:30 > 0:47:32her tassel odyssey is complete.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38Sarah found a jumble of discarded old material in
0:47:38 > 0:47:40a plastic bag destined for the skip.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49Now they're sumptuous and vibrant scarves that wouldn't look
0:47:49 > 0:47:51out of place on a catwalk.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55With a bit of dye, some leftover thread,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58and a lot of hard work, they've been transformed into
0:47:58 > 0:48:02a gorgeous spectrum of springtime loveliness.
0:48:05 > 0:48:06Well, I am really pleased with these.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10They're bright, they're beautiful and I think they're rather lovely,
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and I've got a good idea about where to sell them.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15I need to position them up here in terms of cost because I want
0:48:15 > 0:48:19them to be seen as a lovely, luxury item, which I think they are now.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27At the recycling centre in Altrincham, Sarah met Les while
0:48:27 > 0:48:31he was trying to throw out a load of his uncle's old coat hangers.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34There seems to be a coat-hanger theme going on here.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Well, it looks that way, doesn't it?
0:48:36 > 0:48:39- Oh, my word. More?- Ridiculous!
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Among all of Les's uncle's rubbish was a bag of old fabric.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49Sarah chopped it up, dumped it in some dye and tied on
0:48:49 > 0:48:53a load of tassels to create some sublime scarves.
0:48:53 > 0:48:58They proved a perfect fit for Cowdray, Sarah's local farm shop,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00who bought all 12.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02The colours are absolutely beautiful
0:49:02 > 0:49:04and the fact that they've been handmade from something
0:49:04 > 0:49:06that was otherwise going to be thrown away
0:49:06 > 0:49:08really fits in with the ethos behind our business.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11And they're already in demand.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14- I love that deep purple.- So do I.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17But not quite for what Sarah planned.
0:49:17 > 0:49:18I'd use it for a tablecloth.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21Each to their own.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Now Sarah's back in Altrincham with some loot for Les.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33- Hiya, Les.- Hiya, love. You all right?- I'm very well.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35- How are you doing? - Fine, duck. Thanks very much.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38You were hard at work last time I saw you.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40You had got loads of stuff coming to the tip and
0:49:40 > 0:49:43some of it was yours but some of it belonged to your uncle.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45- Is that right?- That's right, yeah.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47In one of the bags, there was actually some fabric
0:49:47 > 0:49:48that I was interested in.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51I've got a picture of it to see if it's something you remember.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Well, I don't remember but it would be brilliant to see it.
0:49:54 > 0:49:55That was in there.
0:49:55 > 0:50:00It was lots of really long strips of fabric and some of it was silk.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03- Fantastic, that.- Do you want to see what we did with it?- Yes, please.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05If you don't mind. I'd like to see what you've done with it.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08We turned them into scarves.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10It just shows you, doesn't it?
0:50:10 > 0:50:12That's incredible, that. Oh, it's absolutely brilliant, that.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15That's fantastic. You wouldn't think of doing something like that.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17They looked really good and we took them to
0:50:17 > 0:50:20- a local farm shop and they bought all of them.- Did they really?
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Yeah, and they bought them at a profit so I've got
0:50:22 > 0:50:25- a little bit of money to share with you.- That's brilliant.
0:50:25 > 0:50:26Well, you can't refuse that, can you?
0:50:26 > 0:50:29- I've actually got £160 here for you. - Never!
0:50:29 > 0:50:34- Blimey, Charlie!- Is that unexpected? - That IS unexpected!
0:50:34 > 0:50:38I mean, just imagine how much more stuff goes in them skips every day.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42- Don't say that. It keeps me awake at night.- I bet it does.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44Oh, that is brilliant, that, love. Thanks very much.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46What might you do with that?
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Well, I was going to put a new exhaust on my car.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51- Two and a half grand. - SHE GASPS
0:50:51 > 0:50:53- Seriously?- Serious money. - That is a nightmare.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56- Well, I'm sorry... - No, that's brilliant.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58- That'll go well towards it. - Well, that's great news.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01- Well, let me say thank you. - It's much appreciated.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04I hope to see you again down there. See what else I can give you!
0:51:04 > 0:51:07- I hope the car's all right. Thanks ever so much.- Thanks very much.
0:51:07 > 0:51:08- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye now.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15Well, I really enjoy turning something plain and boring into
0:51:15 > 0:51:19something luxurious and lovely and it sounds like the profit
0:51:19 > 0:51:22came just in time for Les with his massive car bill.
0:51:24 > 0:51:29Sarah spent £10 on materials and another 30 for additional labour.
0:51:29 > 0:51:3312 scarves were bought by the farm shop for £200,
0:51:33 > 0:51:38giving Sarah a profit of £160 for Les.
0:51:45 > 0:51:50In the quiet East Sussex village of Hellingly, Norman is waiting
0:51:50 > 0:51:54patiently for the arrival of Sarah, with a piece he is rather proud of.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56It's a really versatile piece.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59The beauty of it is the size, that it can go anywhere.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02And the amount of storage you get into it is ideal.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04You could use it for anything, basically.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06You know, the beauty of it is it's got doors on it,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09put your junk in it, hide it away, like we all do.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Speak for yourself, Norman.
0:52:11 > 0:52:12But, yes, you are correct.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17Let's hope Sarah is as happy with the result as you are.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22Well, I left Norman with a whopping great wardrobe and the hope
0:52:22 > 0:52:25that he'll be able to transform it into something that is much
0:52:25 > 0:52:29more saleable and commercial, that will fit into anybody's house.
0:52:30 > 0:52:35When Sarah dropped it off, this was a broken down lump of lumber
0:52:35 > 0:52:38destined for the furniture graveyard.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50But now Norman's worked his magic, the wardrobe is reborn.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58Its cool, distressed finish and slimmed-down proportions make
0:52:58 > 0:53:03it a practical and stylish storage cupboard, fit for the modern home.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07The cornicing details add interest and the contemporary paint job
0:53:07 > 0:53:11brings this Victorian beast bang up-to-date.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15- Hiya.- Oh, I thought I shut the door. I thought I locked it.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20But what will Sarah make of the finished storage unit?
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Oh, it's tall. It's really quite cool.
0:53:23 > 0:53:24I know that, you know,
0:53:24 > 0:53:28- cool is not something I normally associate with you.- With me?
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- I think you've done really well there.- Yeah, I think it works well.
0:53:31 > 0:53:32Proportionally, it works.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34Really nice to have kept the drawer handles, OK,
0:53:34 > 0:53:37cos you have converted a big piece of furniture into
0:53:37 > 0:53:40something much more commercial, haven't you?
0:53:40 > 0:53:42I mean, we've used... Obviously when we made the doors, we made
0:53:42 > 0:53:45the doors out of all the old timber that was left, the plinths.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48We changed the cornice because we didn't want to keep the same
0:53:48 > 0:53:53cornice on because it just didn't work, so we put a new one on.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Apart from that, we used everything that we can. Everything.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02Norman has clearly put a huge amount of effort into transforming
0:54:02 > 0:54:06this piece and he's given Sarah a fighting chance of making a sale.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11You're such a safe pair of hands to bring things to cos you always...
0:54:11 > 0:54:13- Really?- Yeah, well, you get it done on time, you nail it,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16- you make it look commercial.- It's saleable.- It is.- Storage is great.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18I'm really pleased with it.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20It's a really good-looking piece and I think you've got
0:54:20 > 0:54:23- a lot of storage per square inch, given the floor...- Floor space.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25..floor space you're taking up.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28So I reckon I'll position this as something that is
0:54:28 > 0:54:31a universally great kitchen cupboard.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34You know, something... This is good kitchen storage, isn't it?
0:54:34 > 0:54:35It's got a lovely, strong look.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38I think you're hopefully going to have another winner on your hands.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41I think I've definitely got a winner there.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42You happy?
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Safe Hands Norman, that's what I'm going to call you from now on,
0:54:44 > 0:54:48- cos you just get it right. Lovely. - Let go. Please let go.
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Thank you.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52No, no, Safe Hands Norman, thank YOU.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55Well, I'm pleasantly surprised about what Norman
0:54:55 > 0:54:58has managed to create out of that huge piece of furniture.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01I've now got something saleable and good-looking on my hands
0:55:01 > 0:55:05and I should be able to make a profit out of that.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14When Sarah spotted David and his son Matt,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16they were hauling a terrific amount of timber.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20This is a Victorian solid mahogany wardrobe.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23They wasted no time in coming to an agreement...
0:55:23 > 0:55:25- Do you want it?- I want it.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30..and David wished Sarah well in her endeavours.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33I'd be delighted if she could do something with it.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37Now that great hunk of hardwood has a whole new home.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44The Old Cinema, a vintage and retro furniture dealer in west London,
0:55:44 > 0:55:49snapped up the revitalised storage unit as stock to sell in their shop.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56So now Sarah's aiming to update David on what became of his
0:55:56 > 0:55:58wodge of old wardrobe.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01She's heading for his office in central Birmingham.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07- David. Hi there. How are you doing? - How are you?- Very well.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Nice to see you. I know when we met briefly at the tip, I said
0:56:10 > 0:56:12- I'd like to keep in touch...- Yeah.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15..to see, you know, if we managed to do anything with your wardrobe.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17I was really pleased to be there on the day you were dropping
0:56:17 > 0:56:21that off because it was obviously a lovely, old wardrobe.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23So we took it to a guy called Norman
0:56:23 > 0:56:26who uses wood like that all the time.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28So we decided the best thing for it
0:56:28 > 0:56:31would be to go back to being some sort storage.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34I've actually got some pictures to show you what he did with it.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37- So that's how it ended up. - That's... Yes, that's the drawers.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Oh, very good. Yes. That looks great.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41That looks really useful, really good.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45It did sell to a London shop and I have the profit here to give to you.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48- Jolly good. Profit.- I got £100 here for you.- Thanks very much.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50And that's probably about
0:56:50 > 0:56:53what it cost us 30 years ago when we bought it.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Marvellous.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00David's had three decades of use out of the wardrobe
0:57:00 > 0:57:03and now he's got his cash back too.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06But what will he do with this dividend?
0:57:06 > 0:57:08Would it be a good idea if I give it to someone like
0:57:08 > 0:57:11the Forestry Stewardship Council or something like that,
0:57:11 > 0:57:13who look after sustainable wood?
0:57:13 > 0:57:18Maybe they'll plant lots of new mahogany and teak trees
0:57:18 > 0:57:20- with the money. - I think that's a lovely idea.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23I was very conscious that I was putting it in the tip and
0:57:23 > 0:57:27that there was a better place for it, so you've done well.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29I really appreciate your time today and for letting
0:57:29 > 0:57:31- me have your wardrobe.- Thanks very much.- My absolute pleasure.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35- Lovely to see you. Thank you ever so much.- Thanks.- Bye-bye.- Thanks.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Well, that's all worked out beautifully.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41Norman delivered on the storage
0:57:41 > 0:57:45and David's going to give that money so new trees can be planted.
0:57:45 > 0:57:50Norman's materials and labour came in on budget at £375.
0:57:52 > 0:57:58Sarah sold the new storage unit for a neat £475,
0:57:58 > 0:58:03leaving a nice profit of £100 exactly to hand over to David.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12Sarah successfully saved four items from oblivion.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16Lydia's old green chair was re-wrapped and covered in
0:58:16 > 0:58:18Churchill quotations,
0:58:18 > 0:58:21the bamboo seats got the Jay Blades treatment...
0:58:22 > 0:58:26..the vintage material found its mojo as a set of scarves...
0:58:28 > 0:58:31..and the mahogany wardrobe was revitalised as
0:58:31 > 0:58:33a practical unit for storing your stuff.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38Well, you've seen what can be done with a load of old rubbish.
0:58:38 > 0:58:42Why don't you have a go? Get some tools and get stuck in.