Many property redevelopments revolve around cheap materials and white walls with a focus on a quick resale and high returns. Kingston based designer and property developer, Lili Giacobino, has spent the last five years putting her soul into upcycling old pieces to create something unique.
“Derelict and abandoned places attract my curiosity. I like to bring a building back to life and completely change the energy within.” Lili Giacobino stated when asked about her motivations.
The last property transformed by Giacobino took four months and a total of £42,000 to be completely renovated. Every element was carefully considered and made to be unique, including door handles made out of old tools and plumbing supplies.
“Over the last 5 years as a developer I had my fair share of crumbling walls, dated wallpaper, moulds and uncover numerous previous DIY gone wrong, but I am still excited as I see past the dated décor of properties”.
“Usually the worst it looks initially, the best it is for me, as I know the transformation will be dramatic.”
Creative renovation requires time, skills and lots of imagination, but it is undeniable that building unique pieces from scratch with recycled material add charm and character to any interior.
“For me, modern and glossy finishes sometimes lack charm and character. I like texture, wood grain and seeing the passage of time on things and how it affects their surfaces. I see potential in random and dated objects which challenge my creativity and usually turn into beautiful pieces.”
