A mantle created and finished by Shannon and Dean Acheson is seen in this undated handout photo. The couple created the mantle last fall with odds and ends of wood from some pine skirts from an old table, leftover baseboard and trim, along with a couple of new pieces of wood just to complete the piece, which they painted, aged and waxed.

“That was the first piece I think that we really went: ‘Wow, we can do this, and really change how something is, and really make something out of what someone else might think of as nothing or impossible,'” recalls Shannon, who partners with Dean on the design blog AKA Design.

The Achesons are among the participants in the Ultimate Upcycle Challenge taking place during the Toronto Fall Home Show, which runs from Sept. 20 to 23 at the Better Living Centre. Bids can be placed on the restored works at www.torontohabitat.ca until Sept. 25 with proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity Toronto.

Catch the whole article via Good as new: Upcycling items doesn’t need to be challenging – even for novices – Winnipeg Free Press.