Recycled chic: shelving from scaffolding

Make sturdy kitchen shelving using old scaffold planks. We found the brackets pictured above encrusted with layers of paint and dirt in a salvage yard, and stripped them back to reveal their elegant shapes. Finish the planks with a hard wax oil which creates an easy-to-clean surface.

For the planks
Remove any old nails and screws. Prepare the wood with a rough-grade sandpaper and finish with a finer one (or use an electric sander). Wipe with a soft cloth or kitchen roll moistened with white spirit to remove any residue and allow to dry. Following the manufacturer's instructions, apply two coasts of Osmo hardwax oil. We used a transparent white, which allows you to see the grain of the wood. Buff lightly with fine sandpaper to finish.

To strip the brackets
Use a paint stripper to remove the layers of old colour. Apply a metal primer and finish with two coats of oil eggshell. Attach to the wall using Rawlplugs and screws.

Look out for

● Outdoor furniture that can work well inside. Add softening touches such as seat cushions.
● Old ladders can be used in hallways for hanging scarves and hats and in bathrooms they can act as towel rails.
● Agricultural and industrial baskets can be lined with fabrics and used for storage.
● Tables with damaged, broken legs can be cut down and lowered into coffee tables. If the table is missing a leg, cut it in half to create a half-moon shape and attach to the wall as a stylish console or side table.

Brackets, from £15/pair, Abbots Bridge Reclamation; in Silk Yellow acrylic eggshell, £33/2.5 litres, Zoffany. Planks, from £12, Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling Project; in Osmo Wood Wax Finish transparent white 3111, £18.29/ 0.75 litres, Vanilla Wood Floors. Curtain in Mirande yellow linen mix, £29/m, Sanderson. Newgate clock, £62.50, Pedlars. Top shelf, from left: Espresso pot, £33.50; jug £16.95: both Divertimenti. Bowls, £12.50 each, Few & Far. Bottle, £5.95, Country Elements. Coloured mugs, £12 each, Oggetti. White mug, £59 (16-piece set), The Conran Shop. Lower shelf, from left: Crockery, £59 (16-piece set), The Conran Shop. Glasses, £3.50 each, Country Elements. Jars, from £17 each, Oggetti. Worktop, from left: Pragel worktop, £21, Ikea. Bread tin, from a selection, Pimpernel & Partners. Scales, £79, Divertimenti. Carafe, £16 (with four glasses); bamboo bowls, £9.95 each: all The Conran Shop. Mugs, £12 each; salad bowl, £55: all Oggetti. Cutlery, £32 for a four-piece set, Toast. inset, left Wallpapers from left: similar from a selection Farrow & Ball and Morris & Co; Medway, £32/roll, Morris & Co

Styling and words: Caroline Reeves, assisted by Celia Stuart-Menteth. Photos: Simon Bevan  

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