RTÉ Researcher Danielle Farrelly shares six Irish businesses turning trash into turnover. You can follow Danielle on Instagram here.
Menlo Designs
Menlo Designs got its name from the street in New Jersey where Thomas Edison designed the first light bulb. This fact is apt, as Andy Pirie from Menlo Designs loves lightbulbs and spends his time trying to figure out what objects he can put them into. This includes old cameras, microscopes, books and meat grinders. He recently turned a bundle of crime cameras he got from the Garda Headquarters in Dublin into lamps. His other products include wall hangings made from pallets and leftover floorboards and coasters made from old comics. Menlo Designs gives a new lease of life to something that would have ended up in the landfill.
Barbara Bennet Designs
Galway-born Barbara Bennett returned to Ireland from Canada when the pandemic hit. Bored and needing a creative outlet, she bought 10 pairs of runners to start her own customising business and from there her idea "blew up". Her bright colourful designs are a hit with both adults and kids. You can either buy a brand-new pair of Nike runners from Barbara or send her your old favourite pair to customise. She also customises loafers and jackets. She is a firm favourite at private events and offers a unique hen party experience. Barbara has also branched out into DIY kits so you can update your runners/shoes/jackets in your own time.
Rocker Lane Workshop
Architect Sean Fogarty encouraged his father-in-law Mikie to branch out into a new business during the last recession. They started out making unique furniture, such as tables and chairs, but now 99% of their work is crafting their beautiful picture frames. Rocker Lane frames add a bit of history to your walls as the floorboards comes from old dance halls or school gymnasiums around the country.
The Rainbow Ballroom of Romance in Leitrim, The Wonderland Ballroom in Cavan and the Shamrock Lounge in Tipperary are among the ballrooms used. Mikie likes to leave the original surface of the boards unsanded so that the dirt, or patina, becomes the decoration of the frames. Each frame comes with a card giving a location of where the timber came from. It's a lovely nostalgic gift if you have memories of dancing the night away in these ballrooms. Irish Design Shop and Tales For Tadpoles are some of their stockists.
Trashietreasures
Lorraine McHugh was inspired by her native Donegal landscape to create bespoke jewellery for her friends as gifts so they can have a piece of "home" with them on their travels. All items are created using beach trash or ocean plastic waste and a variety of finds such as shells, sea glass, and fishing rope. These are lovingly cleaned with local sand and labelled with the location they were found. Sustainability was high on the priority list and jewellery is made from bio-resin which is plant-based and can biodegrade, unlike standard resins which are petroleum-based. Stocked in 17 stores across the country, Lorraine has her sights set on her designs being in every county in the country.
I love finding something like this that someone has thrown out. It's amazing what a good scrub and a lick of paint can do. pic.twitter.com/m6kuIru1ES
— Trash-Treasure (@Trash_Upcycle) March 24, 2023
Ballyshane Boards
Husband and wife duo Cheryl and Willie run the successful chopping board brand Ballyshane Boards. Willie's dad always wanted to do wood-turning with his son but he never got the chance. This inspired Willie to buy his own turner a month after his father's passing. Cheryl and Willie are now 17 years in business together. All the wood is Irish and predominantly beach. It has to be dead, dying or a fallen tree to be used. Each board comes with a traceability tag, so you know where your board came from. To minimise waste each board comes from a certain section of the tree to ensure nearly 100% of the wood is used. Ballyshane Boards are now engraving their boards, which makes them a wonderful present to mark special occasions.
Upcycling Furniture Expert Joanne Condon
Former art teacher Joanne Condon from Tipperary couldn't find the perfect furniture for her new home so she decided to search charity shops for little gems she could turn into works of art. Joanne's designs are colourful, playful and bold and enhance any home they enter, and they have become so popular that she now teaches in-person workshops and online. Her top tips include: ask your family and friends for old furniture, ensure you clean and prime well, and use a good satin wood paint that can be easily cleaned. Joanne will be releasing her second book in June called Furniture Flipout.
These six Irish businesses featured on The Late Late Show on Friday, April 28. Catch them now on the RTÉ Player.
