Episode 4 Money for Nothing

That looks interesting. What is that?

How do you make money for nothing?

Stop, stop, stop.

The answer could be hiding in over 20 million tonnes of household waste

thrown out by us every year.

-Can I have it?

-Yeah, by all means. You're welcome, yeah.

-Fantastic.

That's why entrepreneur Sarah Moore wants to get her hands

on things before they hit the skip.

I'm a passionate buyer, maker and user of old stuff,

and I've turned that passion into a money-making business.

I make new stuff out of old stuff, and I sell it for a profit.

And with some of the country's elite designers and makers...

-Enough to work on?

-Just a bit, yeah.

It is a beast, isn't it?

..she can transform her finds into desirable...

I can't believe it!

..valuable...

Aren't you clever?

..and hopefully saleable items.

Oh, wow.

If Sarah is successful, then she can hand the profits back

to the very people who had no idea

there was cash to be made from their trash.

That's amazing!

Welcome to Witley Recycling Centre, a non-stop hive of activity.

Sarah's on a mission to turn your trash into hard cash.

I'm scouring for scrap, I'm totting for treasure

and I'm taking away anything I think I can make money out of.

But before you make a beeline for YOUR local tip, take note.

Sarah's been given special permission

to seek out three items...

-Oh, look at that!

-..that she can rejuvenate,

repurpose and sell on for a profit.

First to pique Sarah's interest is Gudrun, shuffling in

with this little gem.

Oh, I love a card table.

-Are you throwing it?

-Well, sadly yes.

Have you had it for ages?

I'm refurbishing a house and it was in the loft.

I'd love to have a closer look at it. Have you stood it up at all,

-have you tried it...?

-No, I haven't. I haven't.

I know I have no use for it.

I didn't even know it's a card table.

I wonder if it's all there. Let's have a look.

They come in sort of lots of different designs

and mechanisms and that kind of stuff,

but I've never seen one like this before.

Brilliant, let's see if it'll stand up now.

Wouldn't say on its last legs, but it's close, isn't it?

It's close to, yeah.

I think they're quite practical things, because they fold up,

you can put it on the end of your table and get another

couple of people on, and that kind of stuff.

And it looks like it's made of some nice old, solid wood.

So would love to fold it up and take it away.

-Yeah, please take it away.

-Thank you.

Splendid. Because, as Sarah has told me,

you play your cards right at the tip, it might just lead to a profit.

If I can do something with it,

I'd love to come and show you how it turns out.

I would love to see that.

Brilliant. Well, thank you so much, really nice to meet you.

Thank you very much, pleasure to meet you, Sarah.

-I shall come and see you soon.

-Have fun with it.

-I will!

-Thanks, bye.

An excellent start. But what does Gudrun think

this little card table's new deal is going to be?

I have no idea what she will do with it,

but I'd love to see what she will come up with it.

I'm happy that it will not go into the tip, and that's wonderful.

I'm with you, Gudrun. It is wonderful.

Everybody would have had one of these 50 years ago.

If you want to the village hall, you wanted to play whist

at a whist drive, you'd take your table with you.

Does have potential to make some money

because it's a practical piece of furniture.

But it's going to need some real creativity

to turn that into hard cash.

Well, let's find out which creative type Sarah's lined up.

Master carpenter Norman Wilkinson.

Norman's skill and attention to detail shines through

in everything he makes, and Sarah is never disappointed.

Oh, what Sarah brings here, well, you know,

it gets a bit more diverse every time.

It tests you. It can be fun.

As long as the job comes out looking good,

saleable and someone loves it at the end of it, that's all that matters.

Norman brings with him over 25 years of experience,

and is the very definition of "old school".

I'm not into this modern world and the modern sayings.

"Upcycling" is a new word.

I mean, "recreate" I suppose, that's what we'd call it.

I'm one of the lucky people in life -

I get up in the morning, and I look forward to coming to work, so

can't ask for anything more than that, can I?

Well, if you like things old-fashioned, Norman,

then you're going to love this.

So, that's one item safely tucked away.

Sarah's back on the lookout for number two,

and she's found a way to cover more ground.

It's a big tip.

I've got a big tip for you, Sarah.

Why don't you ask Ian what he's throwing away?

-Hello.

-Hi, there. Hi, I'm Sarah.

I'm Ian, how do you do?

Ian. What a lovely old...

Is it a wardrobe, or kitchen cupboard?

Well, it's probably a wardrobe, but it has shelves in it

-so it could be used for both.

-OK.

Looks... It's got that classic I think 1940s look to it.

-Have you had it...?

-Thoroughly retro,

it's been in the garage for ten years,

and came from a friend who's probably had it

for goodness knows how long.

Well, it's just the kind of thing that I'm looking out for

because it's solid, it's made it to the tip in one piece,

and most of the stuff I'm seeing here is flat-packed and fallen apart

before it gets here. So any chance I could have a closer look at it?

-Of course you can. You want me to drag it out?

-Well, let me help you, yes.

What have you been using it for, just storage, or...?

-Junk.

-Junk?

In the garage, old clothes...

-Yeah.

-..old tins...

Things that my wife

doesn't like throwing away.

-She sounds like a woman after my own heart.

-Possibly.

-Yeah.

-Wow.

-Wow, that's lovely.

-Yes...

Practical space in there, isn't it?

This probably would have been a cupboard in someone's bedroom.

All-purpose cupboard, splendid probably for a student, perhaps.

Well, I'm so pleased that I was here to stop it going in there,

because it has got that vintage look.

I know somebody's going to love this, and I think I can take it

to the right people who can make sure it's turned into something

-really desirable again.

-Good. Well, I hope it'll come in useful.

Thank you.

I rather hope it comes in useful, too.

But I'm not that optimistic.

What will be great is, if I do manage to do something with it,

may I come back and show you how it's been transformed?

-You may.

-Lovely. That's brilliant. I might just have to ask you

one more favour, which is to help me pop it over there.

-All right, let's do that.

-That would be really helpful, thank you.

Ian seems pleased that his wardrobe will get a new lease of life.

But what kind of life might that be?

Could go into a kitchen, a small bedroom for a child, perhaps.

Or even into a garage or a shed.

Who knows? With a lick of paint and a few pretty stencils,

it will come up like new.

-Well said, that man.

-Well, I know why it's light -

it's made from really flimsy old wood.

But it IS still solid, and it's in one piece,

and it's got retro styling, and that means it's definitely worth saving.

It's going to need a really good makeover if it's going to

stand a chance of making any money at all.

A makeover, you say?

Sarah's got the very person.

Emma Walker is a furniture restyler.

She takes tired pieces destined for landfill,

expertly restores them and creatively covers them

in papery pattern prints.

Emma likes to get to know a piece of furniture.

Does that mean she talks to furniture?

That's exactly what it means.

The piece of furniture will just tell you what to do.

Whether it needs a geometric pattern

or it needs to be told

a story with flowers and birds.

That does actually happen.

The furniture starts talking back to me,

literally sort of comes alive.

Well, Emma, get ready for a good old chinwag,

because this old thing certainly has a tale to tell.

Two items loaded into the Money For Nothing van.

Now it's time for Sarah to search for her own pound-making project.

Have you ever done a tip selfie? You've got to pout, you know,

-it's all about the pout.

-Yes, yes, mega LOLs.

Back to work.

And maybe Ian and Clare will have what you're looking for.

Ian's been clearing his late mother's home,

and it's been a big job.

-Hi there, hello.

-Hello.

-Oh, look at that.

-I know!

-Oh, no. Whose house was this?

-Ian's mum.

-My mother's house.

OK. You're clearing everything, are you?

Yes, we have to, yes.

You've reached the clothing stage now, have you?

Well, it's everything at once, because everything's been stuffed

into every conceivable corner, drawer, wardrobe, nook and cranny.

And every tiny space is occupied with things.

I know it's very personal stuff...

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-..but I am looking for old fabrics and things

that perhaps I could make into a quilt, or things like that.

-Right.

-Would it be awful to ask to go through the bags,

-or to have a look at some of the things to see if I can...?

-Not at all, no, you're welcome.

Ian's happy to save and re-use as many of his mother's possessions

as possible. And there are definitely some talking points.

That's not a curtain!

-It's a nightdress!

-It's a nightdress.

I feel really embarrassed asking, but obviously a really classy...

-Oh, yes.

-Look at that!

Most of it's all designer stuff.

-Clearly.

-Well, she's got hundreds of them.

Really? If it would be OK to have a rummage,

I could recycle stuff here into the textile stuff

but maybe reclaim some of the other bits of fabric

-to make into something else.

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah.

-Absolutely.

Brilliant. Well, on that frilly note,

I'm going to go and get the trolley and pile it up.

A frilly note indeed.

I'm looking forward to seeing where Sarah's imagination takes us

on this one.

Well, I will definitely look after it. And then, if I can show you

all the bits I've reclaimed or recycled,

it would be great to keep in touch and come back and...

-Sure.

-I'm sure there will be lovely bits in here that I can...

Ian and Clare have kindly passed on some stylish items.

What are their thoughts on what Sarah might do with them?

I think she could perhaps use some of the vintage materials,

to use soft...to make soft furnishings and interior decoration.

Bedspreads, curtains, cushions maybe.

Tablecloths. Maybe even clothes, I don't know.

-But there's a lot of stuff there.

-There is.

-And it's a shame to throw it away, isn't it...

-It is, actually.

-..like this?

-I think, you know...

-I'm glad it's going to a good home.

-Yeah. She could recycle it to good use.

-Yeah.

You know something? I think there's a lot of potential here.

I mean, that is bound to be cashmere.

Beautiful, 100% cashmere!

Oh, wow, look at that!

OK, so there's obviously a completely random selection

of fabrics and materials and clothing in here.

But I think simply because it's old, simply because of the colours,

there's going to be some money to be made here.

I'm hoping it's going to be rags to riches.

Another cashmere, brilliant.

There it is, then. Three items found.

Norman will be first to deal, taking on Gudrun's card table.

Emma will attempt to transform an old wardrobe.

And Sarah has a bag of vintage clothes

on which to let loose her imagination.

Well, I have been pouncing on potential projects all day,

and I'm happy with my hoard. But now the real work begins.

There's money to be made here.

In the leafy East Sussex village of Hellingly,

furniture aficionado Norman can be found.

Sarah's brought along the old card table to see

what Norman makes of it.

I looked twice at this card table when I saw it in the tip,

and now I've brought it to Norman's, I've still got my doubts.

But it's got great legs, and that can get you a long way.

That's true. I'm living proof of that myself.

Hey, Norman!

-Hiya.

-How are you?

-Yeah, I'm good.

-Nice to see you.

-Yeah, see you nice.

So, not as big and chunky as I usually bring to you,

but what do you think of this?

Well, it's got something that moves up and down, so that's a start!

It looks like a card table.

It is, but it's a good one.

-I think.

-Is it?

Well, it's got redeeming features.

I will be honest, it's a better quality one

than we normally would see.

-Shall we turn it upside down, see what it's really like?

-Yeah.

Well done. Do you think this has potential to be something else?

The best part of it is the legs.

That's what I said. The legs are great.

-Legs are great.

-And practical cos they fold away.

I thought, take the legs off, similar sort of width table...

Maybe about twice as long.

And put the legs on it to make it like a four-person table

for taking out in the garden.

What material are we going to use on the top?

Well, I was wondering about zinc or tin,

or something to make it outdoor, indoor.

-A little bit funky.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Have I brought it to the right place?

-I hope so.

What - are you joking?

Big, funky Norman?

You'll make it look magic.

But we'll have to put it on, say, maybe an MDF top.

So, we're extending it and giving it a new metal top.

Sounds heavy.

Will these legs be fit for purpose for holding up a heavier table top?

-Do you think they'll do the job?

-To be honest, it's quite

a sturdy table. We might have to just play around with it,

but we'll make it as steady as we can by using the legs.

And will you still be able to keep them as folding legs?

Oh, yeah. I think we will, cos I think that's part of the quirkiness.

But you know what I'm like. Beautiful, useful.

Practical but lovely.

And hopefully, if we put that lovely zinc top on,

it's got these attractive fine legs on the bottom,

somebody's going to want to snap it up, aren't they?

Yeah. Let's rock and roll with it.

That's the spirit, Norman.

Now, let's talk money.

Obviously, zinc is not a cheap product.

What's it going to cost?

I reckon you're not going to get much change out of £250.

-Go for it!

-We're going to run for it. OK?

-Yeah, I think that's all right.

-Brilliant.

I'm lost for words, really. But I suppose if we can turn a card table

into something spectacular, you know, it might give other people

inspiration to do something else with one.

Well, Norman has embraced what was essentially quite a simple idea.

But hopefully we're going to take that redundant card table

and make it into something useful again.

Norman has a budget of £250 for this task.

But can he really manage to turn an old card table

into something worth spending money on?

Brighton by the sea, one of the great English seaside resorts.

While it may be famed for its bucket and spade traditions,

it's currently celebrated for its counterculture,

music and arts scene.

This dynamic link between past and present can be seen

in the work of furniture restyler Emma.

But what will she make of this?

I don't know if I'll instantly know what to do with it.

Please don't bring me total junk!

I'll do my best with whatever she brings me.

I'm sure it's going to be fine. I know it's going to be fine.

Well, this wardrobe has already seen loads of loyal service,

and it needs a complete makeover.

So I've brought it to Emma. I think she's going to love it!

-Whoops...

-I've always been clumsy.

Me too.

Me three!

It's the lightest of possible woods that it's made out of.

It's kind of square, and it's not very appealing at the moment, is it?

No, it's not. But it is functional.

-Good storage.

-Yeah.

-Have to think of these things.

-I'd want to put some legs on that.

-That sounds lovely,

because as soon as you get a bit of light under the furniture,

it makes the room, if you've got a smaller room, that's really useful.

It just makes, it gives everything more...

It makes everything look fresher.

-I think "fresh" is a word it hasn't heard in a long time.

-Yeah.

One of Emma's signature looks is using vintage wallpaper

on furniture. But before she starts restyling,

she has to get to know the item first.

I haven't got a vision quite yet,

but I could use different wallpapers in strips.

Or I could use... I could tell a story with one wallpaper

and going all around the sides.

The only thing I'm wondering about is whether you've got

anything that's a bit nuts. A bit atomic, a bit funky.

Oh, I've got some funky. Yeah, I have got some funky stuff.

Geometric funky stuff, because of all the straight lines.

-Something geometric on this. Yeah, I think I've...

-Have you got any here?

I have. I think I've just thought of something that would...

-That might suit.

-Go on, then. Go and get it, let's have a look.

I actually know where it is.

Excellent. Who would have thought that an old wardrobe such as this

could get the creative juices flowing?

I think, in a white room - people like white rooms, don't they? -

that that would be a lovely pop of colour.

And then inside, I could do something to surprise you again.

Surprise on the inside,

something funky on the outside.

Can you put a price on that?

I can do that for £220.

-Really?

-Yeah.

I think that sounds like a lovely idea for me.

Brilliant. I cannot wait to see what you do with it.

Looking forward to that surprise on the inside.

-Have fun!

-Thank you!

Well, the die is cast. I hope that orange wallpaper is going to look

as amazing as I think it's going to.

And it is quite a tricky process, but I think Emma's our woman.

I think it's going to look fantastic.

And, for a very reasonable £220, the hope is that Emma hasn't put herself

in a tight spot with such a big task.

Under the wide skies of the idyllic Sussex countryside, Sarah's at home,

and she's about to get to grips with some colourful items of her own.

Those bags of vintage clothes she grabbed at the tip.

So, it's a bit overwhelming having all these different types

of clothes and fabric here.

So I think the best thing to do is sort it out.

I'm going to go for fantastic pieces that sell in their own right,

bits that I probably don't want at all, like these handkerchiefs.

And then there are some quite cool shoes,

so things like that may sell just the way they are.

So I think it's time to get sorting.

That's fantastic. Keeping that.

That's cashmere as well, that can go in there.

100% cashmere.

Oh!

I think that's a keeper.

And then there's a bit of frilly stuff.

So, that is an original, proper babydoll.

I mean, it's so cool!

That is going to be worth a few quid, isn't it?

Fashionable nightwear became very popular in post-war Britain,

with the introduction of sheer materials such as lace,

silk and chiffon.

But this pile is much more exciting.

I think I'm going to get some of this stuff washed.

I'm going to get it so it looks absolutely at its best,

take some pictures of it, and then just sell it.

Sounds like a plan.

But Sarah really has her work cut out

if she's hoping to make any money.

Having spent £0 so far, maybe Sarah's onto a winner after all.

We shall see.

Back in Hellingly,

Norman's beginning work on the soon to be metal-topped card table.

Basically it's just...take it apart and go from there.

Norman's going to remove the legs and discard the top section.

The discarded table top will be replaced by a larger piece of MDF,

which will then be covered by zinc.

Beautiful.

The challenges are making sure we get the zinc round,

and get the corners nice, and looking crisp and lovely.

And just making sure I get the legs put back on right.

As long as I don't get them on back to front or going out the wrong way!

You never know. Might make it better!

Norman's not too confident with this task. It's a first for him.

However, he did hit on an idea which might deliver

what Sarah's looking for.

I've just put a little groove round it, with the router.

And so we're going to slot it into there so you don't catch yourself,

and then the legs will... And when we put the legs on it,

they will fit really nicely and it will give it a bit of, you know,

it'll look nice, I reckon.

With the groove in place, it's time for Norman to break out the zinc...

..measure up, and get into HIS groove, with the angle grinder.

Let's go for it.

Feel like I need a holiday.

Just as soon as you've finished the table, Norman.

The next step is attaching the zinc to the MDF.

Well, if the rest of it goes as well as that,

I'm going to be rather pleased.

It seems that Norman's groove idea is a winner.

But there are a few hurdles ahead before a successful task is assured,

and we have a table worth dining on as well as selling on.

Back in busy Brighton,

our Emma is about to start work on the old wardrobe.

When Sarah dropped it off, the plan was geometric and funky.

But Emma's already off on a tangent.

I had a plan to use a geometric wallpaper,

but geometric didn't quite fit on it as I would have wanted anyway.

So I moved to plan B.

Nothing like a plan B, Emma.

But will Sarah like it?

I'm sure a bit of adrenaline goes a long way,

and I'm sure things will work out OK.

That's a relief.

I wouldn't want anything to disturb Badger.

Emma is now going for old-school Arts and Crafts wallpaper

by 19th-century designer William Morris.

And on this mid-century wardrobe, I think it will be dapper.

There, it's coming.

It's usually good news when you get...

one off, it means all of them will come off.

One door.

And we know...

..that's the left door.

Usually quite often I'd mark them at the bottom,

but we know that is

cos it's the one without the keyhole.

Excellent deduction. This is going well.

The head's gone on the screw.

Whoops. I spoke too soon.

Give it one more go for luck.

No, the thread's gone.

So, right...

What I don't want to do is bend it.

Give it some leverage.

Got it!

There's no time for celebration yet. There's still that wallpapering.

Sometimes I give myself a little bit too much to do.

And it all goes a bit crazy, and it's like "Agh!,

a bit overwhelming.

And then just keep at it and all of a sudden,

it comes together, like a nice roast dinner.

Yeah? Although roast dinners are really easy,

I don't know why people complain about them.

I can put a nice roast dinner together in two hours,

and it is nice. Two and a half, even nicer.

Two and a half hours?

I think someone wants roast dinner NOW.

And then I'm just going to mark the holes like that.

Emma's marking onto masking tape where the hinges will be.

The tape can then be repositioned on the finished wallpaper

to show where to poke holes.

Top tip for anyone not confident with measuring.

And I'll be able to put that back on, and then I've got my...

Need to do the other side as well.

Now for a spot of filling and sanding,

to make all the surfaces perfectly smooth.

Time for a new set of legs as well.

For the wardrobe, not Emma.

They're quite chunky...

Nice.

Raise it up off the ground.

Yeah, they WILL suit.

Smashing! Now, what about that paper?

My favourite bit of this process is working out

where the paper's...

How the paper's going to fit,

so that it flows all in a continual pattern.

So that I don't chop any birds' heads off.

Can't do that. Just wouldn't be acceptable to me.

Me neither. Headless birds?

Bit of a deal-breaker, really.

This has to be symmetrical.

Asymmetry rules, really.

But this has to be symmetrical or it would just look off-balance

if it wasn't.

Nothing worse than an off-balance wardrobe.

Probably best to crack on, Emma.

I can't wait to see if Sarah thinks there's a profit to be made here.

So we leave Brighton,

and had to West Sussex and the market town of Midhurst.

Sarah's brought her collection of vintage clothes,

washed, dried and ready to be sold.

Sarah's got a buyer lined up.

But how much of that mishmash bundle is worth anything?

-Hi, Beverly.

-Hi, Sarah! How are you?

-I'm really well. How are you doing?

-Very well, thank you.

-I've got a little bundle for you.

-Gosh.

-Do you want to have a look?

-Yes!

So this belonged to one lovely lady,

and this is almost like a timeline of her clothing.

So there's all sorts of bits in here, and I'm not sure

if they're going to suit or not, but I thought you get first dibs.

OK, great. Let's have a look.

So what are you finding is selling at the moment?

Erm, hats are a big thing, but also cashmere.

-OK.

-And shirts. Sort of very '50s style.

-So...

-Well, I've definitely got a few of those in here.

-What should I do? Just pull it out and show you what I've got?

-Yeah.

This all sounds promising.

So come on, Sarah! Show her what you got!

So this is my kind of nighties selection.

You could almost wear it out -

I want to go and try it on, but I haven't dared yet.

And the knickers.

So far, it all seems to be ticking the boxes for Beverly.

This little bundle is beautiful.

Original cashmere, lambswool and Liberty-style print.

-So, I think this is charming.

-Oh, wow.

Right, down to business.

Are you interested, Beverly?

I would be very interested in the putties, and the cashmere,

-and the shirts.

-Brilliant.

Well, let's pile it all up and talk money.

Ah, the best bit. We'll leave Sarah to haggle it out,

but the good news is at least we'll be seeing some kind of profit.

Oh, look at that!

When Sarah met Ian and Clare at the tip,

they were clearing out Ian's late mother's house.

You're clearing everything, are you?

Yes, we have to, yes.

Sarah saw potential in the bag of old clothes.

On that frilly note, I'm going to go and get a trolley and pile it up.

And even Clare had a few ideas with what could be done with them.

I think she could perhaps make soft furnishings and interior decoration.

Bedspreads, curtains, cushions maybe.

Well, with the clothes in such good condition,

Sarah thought cutting them up would have been a travesty.

Sarah's in Godalming in Surrey,

to tell Ian and Clare that she managed to sell most of the clothes.

But how much did she get for them?

-Hello.

-Hello!

Hello, how are you both?

-Very good, thank you.

-Hello.

-Hi, Ian. How are you doing?

-Nice to see you again.

-And you, and you.

Now, I caught up with you when you were sorting out

some of your mother's clothes.

I kept one bag of the clothing and recycled the rest of it.

But we had a really good look through it.

And she cut a dash, didn't she?

She did indeed, yes.

I think even from the early days

when she very much enjoyed things like ballroom dancing, you know,

and obviously, the outfits associated with that

-back in the '50s.

-Yeah.

Got some pictures of the clothing that I found in the bag that I took.

Be warned, some of them are nighties.

-OK?

-I think I remember.

So, she had... Amongst the clothing were these fantastic nighties.

-I remember all of these.

-Yes, yes.

-And turns out

-that girls now where those to go out.

-Really?

-People are wearing these weddings.

And they were beautifully made,

and everything was so well kept, wasn't it?

She must have been pristine.

We managed to find some

black-and-white photos going back, of her wearing,

you know, such outfits.

Really? Do you have them now?

-I do.

-May I have a look at them?

-I do.

-Fantastic.

So...

-That's er...

-With your father.

-Oh, wow.

With my father.

-Oh, look at that.

-And that's out dancing.

-Yes.

-Wow.

She was beautiful, wasn't she?

Yeah. She won medals for ballroom dancing.

-Yeah.

-It was a great love of hers.

-Well, there's a little final bit

to the story, actually. Because there is actually some profit.

I did actually sell them, and I have £95 here.

Wow, unbelievable!

-That's amazing!

-Thank you so much.

Oh, it's a pleasure. There is a little bit of proceeds

-from those lovely clothes...

-Yes.

-But is there something you might do

with that? Have you got a £95 spend in mind?

I don't know, we'll have to buy something in her memory.

-Yes. I think that's an excellent idea.

-Buy something in her memory.

-Excellent. Well, have a lovely day, and thank you so much for your time.

-Yes, thank you!

-Bye.

Sarah didn't spend anything getting these clothes ready to sell.

So, with the sale totalling £95,

Ian and Clare have the full £95

to spend on something in memory of Ian's mum.

In Hellingly, Norman's feeling good

about the end result of his card table task.

I think we've done a big transformation on this one.

I mean, she'll recognise it by the legs, but that'll be it, I imagine.

Yeah, we're pleased with it.

Well, if you're pleased, Norman, then I'm pleased.

But will Sarah be pleased?

Well, everybody used to have a card table,

but now they're unfashionable and they're unloved.

So I'm hoping that Norman has done something really lovely

with our one to put it back on its feet.

Sarah challenged Norman to take on this long forgotten card table

and give it a new identity.

And Norman hasn't disappointed.

With a bit of elbow grease and some clever woodwork,

he's given it a whole new future.

The quality legs have been saved,

and now they support a wonderfully smooth zinc top.

Norman's proud of his handiwork.

Let's hope Sarah takes to it as well.

-Hello, Norm!

-Hello, you.

Aren't you clever? Aren't you clever?

It's the first time someone's ever called me that.

Norman, it's lovely!

There we go.

Oh, it's a proper table now, isn't it?

Yeah, it is. You wanted zinc, we gave you zinc.

Norman, it's great! Are you pleased with it?

Yeah, really pleased with it. I mean, it's come up really well.

Bit of an understatement, Norman. It's a complete transformation.

-Haven't the legs come up well?

-We just cleaned them slightly.

That's all we did. We didn't do much to them.

So we repaired the broken ones and,

yeah, just wired and cleaned them and then, yeah.

-Let's pop it back up.

-Let's pop it up.

-How heavy is it as well?

-No, it's great.

-No, it's fine, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I think that's really pleasing,

because at the state that it arrived at,

it was a fiver in a car boot, wasn't it? It was a walk past...

-If you were lucky.

-Yeah. Budget wise...?

Budget, we've done on budget, 250 like we said we would.

But I think it's a great-looking table.

And because of the condition that this one was in,

you have really made the most of those legs.

And that top's lovely.

So wasn't it... Wasn't it to drink rose on?

-Oh, have you got some?

-You said rose, didn't you? I thought YOU were going to bring it.

-Ah!

We have our own, so there you go. We can go to Glyndebourne.

-Would you like a glass?

-Oh, go on, then.

-Just a small one.

-All right, a little small one!

I think the team deserve a little celebration.

Cheers, guys! Salute!

Happy days! That's a lovely job, thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, lovely jubbly.

Well, that is a really lovely bit of redesign from Norman.

He's transformed that table from unlovely into really beautiful.

It's classic, it's well-styled and people are going to want to own it.

Very happy. Yeah, I think we've made

a great-looking table out of nothing. Yeah, really pleased.

The card table belonged to Gudrun,

who was happy Sarah wanted to whisk it away for a makeover.

I have no idea what she will do with it,

but I'd love to see what she will come up with.

Norman describes Sarah's tip finds as weird and wonderful.

This WAS weird...

..now it's wonderful.

The table was snapped up by an interior design shop in Kent.

For owner Maria, it is a fantastic addition to her shop.

I personally love it.

And what I would have is, it would be used for lots of things.

I'd like it as a desk in the spare bedroom.

You can put it away again when you don't need it,

you can carry it out into the garden,

it would be perfect for picnics. It's got so many uses.

All Sarah has to do now is hand over the profit.

Well, I gave Norman that rickety old card table,

and he absolutely transformed it with that zinc top.

Now, I haven't been able to catch up with Gudrun,

but I have made a fantastic £75 profit.

So I'm going to make sure that gets to her. What a result!

Norman charged Sarah £250 for the makeover.

Sarah sold the table for £325,

with the £75 profit passed on to Gudrun.

Back in Brighton, there's not so much sun, sea and sand

as dismay, despair, and doubt for Emma.

I was worried when this wardrobe came.

Number one, don't like wardrobes.

Number two, had no legs.

Number three, I just didn't have a vision for it.

And...I was scared.

Scared of a wardrobe!

But let's hope Sarah does get a fright in a good way when she sees it.

Well, there is nothing like the excitement of when you come

to pick up a piece and you just don't know what it's going to look like.

I left Emma with a really tatty, old wardrobe.

I'm hoping she's completely transformed it.

When Sarah dropped it off,

it was a wardrobe that had given many years of loyal service.

And it showed.

Emma has done an amazing job.

With muscle power required in the prep,

she went on to show a lightness of touch in her ability

to renew and create a piece of furniture with style and class.

The beautiful paper has been applied perfectly,

and, with new additions throughout, Emma has certainly delivered.

The overall design is very different to the original idea,

so hopefully, Sarah will be convinced by Emma's new approach.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

-Hi, Emma.

-Hello!

That's not it.

Seriously?

That is it!

I went traditional.

Look, it's just given me goose bumps. Emma, it's amazing!

-I'm pleased with it, yeah.

-Is it really the same thing?

You'll recognise the inside.

-Emma, it's fantastic!

-Some more hooks here.

And a total remake over here.

What a clever girl you are. Look at that!

-I am blown away.

-Given it legs. She's got legs.

I was going to put bigger cabrioles on, but...

The lock works. There's a bit of a knack to it, and it only...

Hold on.

It's stunning! Are you pleased with it?

I am pleased with it.

I'm pleased with the fact that it does look

quite elegant and traditional, even in its simplicity.

And I'm pleased with the plinth that I made myself.

And then I've glazed it.

So, I think there was a £220 budget on it.

But you can't be telling me you've done all this for that.

Well, the work and the materials, minus the wallpaper,

which did take...

basically a whole roll.

-Right.

-So there is £50 for... An extra £50.

So it's 270 rather than 220.

-I think that's amazing.

-Good.

-All the work that you've done,

I imagined you'd just tack a little pair of legs on it,

cover it up with some of that orange paper and we would have a smart,

functional piece of furniture.

But you've created something that's just beautiful.

It couldn't be nicer.

I absolutely love it.

I'm with you, Sarah.

To turn a piece of furniture that was destined for the tip

into something so elegant is pretty amazing.

It's lovely. Well, thank you so much.

You are a very clever girl.

-Oh!

-Beautiful.

-Thank you.

-I'll see you very soon.

-Yes, I look forward to it.

-Bye!

-Bye!

Couldn't have put it better myself, Emma.

Two thumbs up.

Result.

Well, every so often I come and pick something up

that just blows my mind. Emma is a wallpaper Wonder Woman.

Fantastic!

Fantastic! That's a better reaction than...

I'm just so pleased with that reaction. Excellent!

Sarah first spied the wardrobe just as Ian was about to sling it

in the skip. What did he think would happen to it?

Who knows? With a lick of paint and a few pretty stencils,

it will come up like new.

Even when new, I bet this wardrobe didn't look as good as it does now.

It was snapped up by online retailer The Country Home, for sale

on their website. And company buyer Megan is feeling confident

about its future sales potential.

I really love this piece. It's got a great William Morris bold pattern,

and it's been finished to a high standard,

especially with the attention to detail here.

I think it'll fit in with quite a variety of different styles.

Now Sarah is at Ian's home,

to show him what has become of his beaten-up and broken-down old wardrobe.

-Hello, there.

-Hello, Sarah. How are you?

-Very well.

-Lovely to see you again.

-You picked a nice day.

-It's a beautiful day.

-It is, isn't it?

-Now, I said

I'd come and find you if there was something to be done

with your wardrobe. It's been amusing me since I picked it up,

because I think you said that it would be a challenge

-to make anything from it.

-I did say that, and I suspect

-it WAS a challenge.

-Well, it was a bit of a challenge,

but luckily I know some lovely people who are very creative.

And your wardrobe actually went to Brighton and was worked on

by a lady called Emma. And I brought you some pictures to show you

-what she did with it.

-Good.

-Let's see what you think of this.

Good heavens! Well done, Emma.

-She has...

-What lovely designs.

Yes. And this is actually a wallpaper that she's used.

It's lacquered, she's made a new pelmet to go over...

Transformed it.

She really did. She put her heart and soul into it.

It does cost quite a lot of money to get something

to look like that after it's come from the tip.

-So we actually invested £270...

-Right.

..in making it look like that. And I've got some profit.

-Really?

-For you. Yeah, I do.

-Good heavens.

We did make some money. A grand total of £40 from it.

Fantastic! Well, I'm very grateful to you and Emma.

Is there something you might do with the £40?

Yes, I know exactly what we'll do with it.

Cos my daughter, who lives with us at the moment,

has suggested we go off to a local pub for a drink.

This will pay for the drinks.

Fantastic! Well, I think that's a great use of your money.

Have a drink on us, and your wardrobe has gone on to have

a whole new lease of life. So thanks so much for catching up.

-Thank you, very much.

-Pleasure. Bye-bye!

-Bye-bye.

Well, that was lovely because I think Ian really appreciated

all of Emma's hard work. She totally transformed that wardrobe,

and now Ian is going off to have a round of drinks on us.

That's a happy ending.

Emma charged Sarah £270 for her impressive handiwork.

Sarah sold the wardrobe for £310,

with the £40 of profit safely tucked in Ian's pocket.

Sarah salvaged three items that were destined for the dump.

Norman transformed the card table.

Emma jazzed up the wardrobe.

And Sarah gave new homes to the old clothes.

Well, I just loved Emma's wardrobe,

and I can't believe what Norman managed to do

with that old card table.

I think he turned it into a zinc masterpiece.

And that's three more items that have been saved from the trash

and turned into cash.