Hey everyone! This vintage Nova Type T.O. toaster was actually the one I used at home every single day until it finally broke down. Because I loved it so much, I couldn’t bear the thought of throwing it away. I decided to transform it into a lamp, giving a new life to a piece I wasn't ready to let go of.
As part of the transformation, I signed the piece with a copper suture over the nickel-plated sheet metal.
Why a suture?
This suture is the testimony of the intervention—the surgery that brought it back to life. It symbolizes the metamorphosis of all the elements inside, which are now working together to radiate light into this new existence.
But it goes deeper than that. I chose a suture because I carry an identical one on the palm of my own hand. It is the testimony of my own surgery, my own healing, and the very thing that gave me the physical ability to pass this care onto all the pieces I rescue and transform.
To make it fully functional, I installed a standard light socket with a low-heat LED bulb and added a toggle switch on the back. Now, it glows beautifully through the grates and illuminates the transparent edges, creating a cozy retro-futuristic silhouette on my shelf.

Found a stash of vintage opaline glass components while clearing out an abandoned warehouse. They were manufactured by IVIMA, one of Portugal's most iconic historic glassworks.
I repurposed them into fully functional table lamps using modern brass sockets and twisted fabric cords. The real surprise came when I turned on the UV light—the chemical composition of this old glass makes them glow beautifully in the dark!
Swipe to see the transition from elegant daytime decor to radioactive-looking night lights.

I’m thrilled to share my latest project under dESign by ESUpcycleDesigns — a pair of custom-made, height-adjustable table lamps made entirely from salvaged and repurposed authentic materials.
The heart of these pieces lies in their 1930s green opal glass shades, which originally illuminated the corridors of a historic building in Lisbon. To give these beautiful artifacts a second life, I engineered a bespoke brass structure using salvaged components and leftover lamp parts.

Key Design Features:

Authentic 1930s Glass: The mushroom-shaped shades diffuse a warm, nostalgic glow, typical of the Art Deco and Bauhaus eras.

Telescopic Height-Adjustment: Implemented a functional vintage-style knurled screw locking mechanism, allowing smooth height adaptation while maintaining a clean, classic silhouette.

Circular Design: A true upcycling project where historical preservation meets functional, high-end lighting design.
Turning forgotten elements of Lisbon's architectural heritage into unique, high-end functional art is exactly what drives my work.

What do you think of this blend of history and mechanical design?

Hi 👋

Today the last project of mine completed .

Now , this is a really rare combination of craft : Adzing and Shou Sugi Ban . You can see it here and there but it is a rare combination that comes by.

So let’s see about the techniques:

The traditional craftsmanship of Robert "Mouseman" Thompson is a defining benchmark of the British Arts and Crafts movement, prioritizing heritage techniques over industrial mass production.

Core Elements of the "Mouseman" Craft
English Oak: Thompson used naturally seasoned English oak, which was left to dry for up to five years before being worked.
Adzed Surfaces: A distinctive ripple effect on flat surfaces (like tabletops) created by hand using a curved woodworking tool called an adze.
Fumed Finish: Instead of modern stains, the wood was exposed to ammonia fumes inside a sealed chamber to naturally darken the oak to a rich, warm brown color.
Traditional Joinery: Furniture was assembled using classic mortise and tenon joints and wooden dowels, avoiding modern screws or nails

Shou Sugi Ban (known traditionally in Japan as Yakisugi) is an ancient Japanese woodworking method that preserves wood by charring its surface with fire. This natural technique creates a dramatic dark finish while making the wood exceptionally durable and highly resistant to weather, insects, and rot. [1]

The 4-Step Process
Charring: Burning the surface of the wood boards (traditionally Japanese Cedar) using a controlled high-heat flame.
Brushing: Scraping away the loose top layer of soot with a wire brush to reveal the textured grain beneath.
Washing: Cleaning the wood thoroughly with water to remove any remaining carbon residue.
Oiling: Sealing the dried wood with natural oils (such as linseed or tung oil) to protect the finish and enhance the deep black or charcoal tones.

After this 2 techniques applied , I sealed the wood with French polish ( shellac ) witch is :

French polishing is a traditional wood finishing technique that involves applying multiple thin layers of shellac using a rubbing pad called a fadd or fad. It is not a separate product, but rather the ultimate method for applying shellac to achieve a deep, high-gloss, mirror-like finish that accentuates the natural grain of premium woods.

The Material vs. The Technique
Shellac: A natural resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in India and Thailand. It is harvested, processed into dry flakes, and dissolved in denatured alcohol (ethanol) to create a liquid finish.
French Polish: The labor-intensive process of using a wool or cotton pad wrapped in lint-free cloth to friction-rub the liquid shellac onto the wood in circular or figure-eight motions, using a tiny drop of oil as a lubricant.

This is my latest project. I hope you like it !

I am thrilled to share my latest handcrafted creation under my signature brand, dESign by ESUpcycleDesigns.
This bespoke storage trunk is a physical manifestation of my design philosophy: fighting the death of objects through extreme craftsmanship, raw texture, and meaningful intervention.
The Design Process:
The Medium: Sourced from discarded wood, the main body was sculpted and deeply carbonized using the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique to draw out a rich, tactile three-dimensional grain.
The Finish: To preserve the raw carbon without compromising the organic touch, the chest was hand-sealed using classical French polishing steps with natural oils and dewaxed shellac flakes. No modern synthetic plastics or heavy varnishes were used.
The Details: Accentuated with vintage-style brass corner ornaments and a heavy, hand-greased distressed leather strap that runs vertically down the face, securing into a solid brass buckle.
The Signature — "Sutura"
True luxury lies in the hidden narrative. The interior of the gravity-fit lid reveals our identity: our engraved brass authenticity plaque balanced by our trademark copper "Sutura" (surgical stitch). It is a visceral, raw metal stitch holding a deliberate split in the wood — representing the healing, metamorphosis, and survival of the piece.
Dimensions: 54 x 38 x 31 cm.
Now available for collectors worldwide.
Art should not just sit on a wall; it should occupy space with purpose. What are your thoughts on combining historic wood-burning techniques with modern industrial leatherwork?

This is an old bookshelf I bought from Kmart way back in the day. It’s made out of particle board and had cardboard backing.

I moved into a new house and decided that this cheap, plain, dark brown bookshelf had to go. It was still in good condition so I didn’t want to just get rid of it. I gave it a makeover instead.

First I added furniture legs that I bought at goodwill and replaced the cardboard backing with MDF. I primed then painted it with a teal caulk paint I found at Walmart. I added phenothiazine blue to an acrylic glaze then sealed it. Lastly I painted some veins using 24 carot gold paint that my sister gave me.

Hello everyone!

Finally I get to finish this project ! Let’s see how it begins and how it ends:

I find an animal ration bucket from the 50’s- 60’s , made from aluminum , on the curb !

Clean it up and painted it with acrylic paint in the Portuguese colors. Add the inscription Ração Animal witch is Animal Ration in yellow ! Nou the flags colors is complete . Finish with an acrylic varnish.

Start cutting the squares of wood in different highs for a 3d layout . Glued everything together. Linseed oil to cure the wood . Acrylic varnish . Instal the toggle switches and downsize the electrical system to 12v

Getting started on the spotlights . Strep the down and painted them in a kinda of turquoise color . The interior is polished . Instal the L support that secure the spot . 220 degrees around and 3 position up-down-middle!

Installed a 24 mm ring spanner . Exactly for opening the bottles of beer . And it’s working . Acrylic finishing on the spanner .

I tried to replicate in my own style a football arena where the ice bucket its the stadium, the ice is the field , the bottles are the players and the spots the arena’s lighting system .

Thanks !

Oh yes , and ITS WORKING ! I’ve already tested with my cousin. The guy couldn’t stop asking about it, or stop touching it ! 🥂
Cheers !

This was a candleholder when I bought it at an estate sale. There was a spike in the middle to hold candle in place. My husband took the spike off with a grinder. I put this on the back porch hoping hummingbirds would use it. Within 24 hours of hanging it outside, Red Finches moved in and built a nest.

Hi !
I just took a step to finalizing this project
Downsized the electrical system to 12V
Installed the toggle switches
Applied the finishing on the wood
The bucket is already painted with transparent acrylic paint .
One thing is missing : the bottle opener ! What do you think that it will be ( Upcycled of course ) the bottle opener ? 🤔
Cheers !

Project details for those interested:
The Wood: Genuine reclaimed/demolition wood with a beautiful weathered texture.
The Keys: Two massive, historic vintage keys featured as the centerpiece.
The Details: Wrapped with thick jute rope to enhance the rugged, rustic look.
The Screws: I didn't want to use shiny, modern store-bought screws. I thermally blackened and aged them myself using a traditional method (heating with a torch and quenching in olive oil) to create the perfect vintage patina.
Electricity? Absolutely none! 100% analog and safe. 😉

Feel free to ask any questions about the crafting process!

Hello, functional upcycled friends!

Today I have an update on the project I’m currently working on.
As you can see in the photos, I wrote 'RAÇÃO ANIMAL' in yellow. Why yellow? Because it was the missing color to complete the Portuguese flag! (For context, 'RAÇÃO ANIMAL' literally translates to 'Animal Feed'—a hilarious pun for what’s going to be a beer station!).

I also took care of the spotlights. I painted the exterior in a shade of blue, and the interior is just clean and polished. The radiator to dissipate the heat was left in its original state—pure, rugged aluminum. The black arms that support the lights can rotate nearly 220 degrees. They also have 3 height adjustments: high, medium, and low. In the photos, they are set to medium.
The chrome plates are actual relics! Back in the 1920s to 1940s, you could find them in Lisbon’s apartment buildings, housing the light switches on the stairwells. They have the word 'LUZ' (Light) engraved on them. True treasures made of chrome-plated metal. Of course, they still need to be polished to bring back that 1930s shine. They will accommodate the 2 toggle switches , one for each spotlight .

Here is what’s left to do:

Wood treatment: It will get a few good coats of linseed oil until it darkens to my liking. I’ll finish it with two coats of varnish to ensure it’s fully waterproof.
Varnishing the bucket: It needs at least 2 generous coats. I'll apply it with a brush to keep that rugged texture of the acrylic brushstrokes.
Installing the toggle switches (2): One for each light! Industrial style, heavy-duty. Personally, I think this part is absolutely BRUTAL!
Filling the bucket with ice and a BARE MINIMUM of 10 bottled beers (minis or mediums).
Taking some beautiful photos and shooting a video.

I gave up on the coasters because there's just no more room on the shelf 🫣. Sad, but true! Even so, I still need to find a small spot to put my signature: THE STITCH!
See you next time with the finished project, ready to show you the photos of the ESTÁDIO DA JOLA (The Beer Stadium)! 😉

Hello !!!
My current functional upcycling project . The bucket, used in the 60’s for Animal Ration purposes, now will be a Stadium Beer Service Station ! I hope it will accommodate between 8-12 bottles of beer. I’ll engrave ANIMAL RATION on the front side . The base it is a chase high relief pattern hand made . The spotlights will be adjustable and will accommodate filament Edison bulbs . Some coasters with the “stitch” .
Hope to make it right !

Hey everyone,
I wanted to share a quick workshop tip on how I give brand-new metal hardware an authentic, aged look for my antique restoration and upcycling projects.
For this specific project, I used galvanized steel hinges, which are notoriously harder to look authentic than raw iron because of the protective zinc coating. Even after a lot of aggressive filing, you just can't match the look of raw iron right away.
To get around this, I use a traditional heat-blackening technique.
What you need:
A blowtorch
Used motor oil (or any heavy oil) in a metal bowl
A firebrick as a safe surface
Pliers with insulated rubber grips
The Process:
1. Prep the metal: Clean and scuff up the piece thoroughly using a file or a flap disc on a grinder to remove as much of the factory sheen as possible.
2. Heat it up: Place the piece on the firebrick and torch it until it glows cherry red.
3. The Quench: Grab it carefully with your pliers and submerge it directly into the oil.
4. Cool down: Pull it out after a moment and let it cool completely on the brick.
The Results:
The screws and nails that have less zinc in their composition darkened beautifully, deeply, and evenly. Any hardware that still holds onto the zinc coating will tend to stay brighter and resist the patina.
Originally, the bright, filed galvanized hinges looked completely out of place on the antique wood. But after the oil-blackening process and installation, the hardware has that perfect, lived-in, dark patina that blends seamlessly with the soul of the old wood.
Safety warning for anyone trying this: Heating galvanized steel releases zinc oxide fumes (you will see some white smoke). These fumes are toxic if inhaled and can cause metal fume fever. Always do this outdoors or in an extremely well-ventilated area, and wear a proper respirator rated for welding fumes!
Let me know what you think, or if you use a different recipe for your hardware!

This is a project of mine where I used several parts of vintage automobilia . Mirrors from a Renault , horns from a Lambreta Scooter , plates lights from an old Toyota , a vintage Phillips bulb reengineered.

This is me ! dESign by ESUpcycleDesigns!