Upcycling and sustainability are increasingly popular concepts, but one person who has combined both into a thriving business is Harrogate-based artist Jodie Flavell.

She takes preloved furniture and transforms it into ‘vibrant art that also provides function in the home’ – and now she’s bringing her craft to the town centre and opening a brand-new shop.

According to Jodie, she only considered herself ‘mediocre’ at art when she was younger, and it seemed perhaps her teachers were inclined to agree with her.

She joked:

“I was actually kicked out of my art class in school – I certainly wasn’t considering it as a career when I was younger.’

After such an inauspicious beginning, her interest in artistic pursuits lay dormant until 2018, when she picked up painting again as a form of therapy. But it wasn't until she moved into her late grandfather’s home in 2019 and began to renovate, that the worlds of art and sustainable living collided.

Frustrated with cheaply made yet expensive furniture on the market, she decided to source reasonably priced and well-made vintage items instead, which she could put her own stamp on.

Her first foray into upcycling was painting a bookshelf duck-egg blue – and it wasn’t something she considered art at first.

However, through trial and error, Jodie realised ‘you don’t need to paint things one colour’ and from there, both her confidence and designs developed.

A creative outlet turned full-time career

She documented her experience transforming furniture on social media and found that people had an appetite for the kind of content she was producing.

Alongside her full-time job, she began to upcycle and sell pieces of furniture, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Jodie found herself facing redundancy. It was the push she needed to dedicate herself full-time to growing her passion into a viable business.

She explained:

“I wanted to make it a career but wasn’t sure how it would work, and then the time over lockdown really made it happen. But I never saw it developing like this.”

In the preceding years, Jodie has seen her social media presence grow astronomically – with a collective 30,000 Facebook and Instagram followers, and over 8000 subscribers on YouTube, she’s made quite the name for herself.

Her advice to others looking to get into upcycling is simple; ‘give it a go’ and don’t be afraid of failure at first.

She said:

“Don’t throw out any furniture if you can help it, or go to your local charity shop, find some second-hand furniture, and give it a go.

“Charity shop furniture is often much better made, and much better quality. And at the end of the day, it’s just paint – you can sand it off and start again.”

An exciting new chapter

Primarily her business first began as upcycling and selling furniture, but it has now branched out into bespoke commissions, workshops and acting as a brand ambassador for paint company Dixie Belle. This year, Jodie is even opening her first shop, in Harrogate town centre.

Having lived in Yorkshire most of her life, she moved to Harrogate at the start of the year, and when a retail unit on Mayfield Grove became available, she took the plunge.

The shop will showcase her own creations, as well as offering a space to run group workshops and one-on-one coaching for others interested in restoring and painting furniture.

Jodie also makes her own aromatherapy products, such as botanical soaps, which will be sold alongside other eco-friendly wares, sourced from sustainable suppliers.

She added:

“I thought Harrogate would have a shop similar to this but although there’s a lot of boutiques and eco-shops, there’s not really anything artsy.

“Since I announced I’m opening a shop it’s been well-received so I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.”