You might’ve gotten a glimpse of the unique mirror frames in our new private meeting rooms at our DUO Galleria outlet and thought “Oh, that looks cool!” And you’re right - they’re really really cool. But there’s more than meets the eye with these mirrors, and we’re more than thrilled to share the story behind them with you!
You see, what you now recognise as these one-of-a-kind, rustic mirror frames used to look like this:
Can you spot two of the same ones? It’s not an easy feat for sure.
Right here is a ‘junkyard’ of sorts in Bali, Indonesia - where there are tons of these discarded vintage wooden windows rescued from demolished traditional Javanese houses, or joglos. With years of history etched into layers of worn paint giving each piece a distinct look and character, these windows still had so much life left in them. Discovered by our co-founders Cheryl and Daniel, together with good friend and avid upcycler Uncle Richard (aka @unker_rich) on one of their sourcing trips to Bali in 2019, the trio decided to bring them back to Singapore to give it a new lease of life.
Curious to find out how we upcycled these discarded pieces of wood into the beautiful decor pieces they are today? Read on!
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Step 1: Mental Preparation
We knew that it wasn’t going to be easy - especially after we saw the piles of window frames we had to scour through. On the other hand, it was easy to get overwhelmed, and it seemed like the window frames were multiplying before our own eyes the more we stared at it. Nonetheless, we'd already made up our minds - so let’s get into it!
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Step 2: Finding The Other Half
We came across many beautiful variations of the frames as we searched for some pieces to bring back home, but the challenge was in finding the other half of those pieces! We had to make sure that they were the same colour, design, size, and quality.
Success! After digging through long enough to warrant a break from the gym for the following week, we found a few pairs that aligned with our vision just right!
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Step 3: Putting It Together
Back in Singapore, Uncle Richard took charge of the main upcycling work. Before being able to start anything, he first cleaned the window frames - which in itself was a small hurdle to overcome since it had already been worn out from years of usage then left sitting battered by the elements in the junkyard. Nevertheless, with our vision in mind, he got to work!
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Step 4: Watching It Come Together
Aside from the materials we already had, the frames still needed some reinforcements to ensure that it was sturdy enough to hold a mirror. After adding the reinforcements, he painted over them to make sure the entire piece looked cohesive.
Looks pretty seamless, doesn’t it?
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The Final Product
Tada! Here’s the final product in all its glory - fitted with the mirror and ready to brighten up our space at DUO!
Framed in the middle of our modern and minimalistic meeting rooms, these mirrors add a homey touch that makes the place feel more welcoming. We’re always happy to embark on new upcycling projects, not just because it leaves us with a beautiful and unique end product - but also because each piece comes with its own story.
Here's a big shout-out to Uncle Richard for his help and expertise for this project! (Psst, he's always ready to take on more upcycling projects, so if you'd like one of these for your home, feel free to reach out and we'll put you in touch!
😉)
Here at TSS, we’ve always championed making socially conscious decisions that impact our environment and community positively. These decisions don’t have to be boring ones to make - upcycling is one way to spark your creativity while reducing waste!
We hope that sharing our own upcycling journey has inspired you to try it out yourself! If you haven’t seen these beautiful mirrors in person yet, why not give us a visit? Check them out at our DUO Galleria outlet - we can’t wait to see you here 👋
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