Designer Kristen Albone at work Wednesday in the dining room of the Habitat for Humanity House in Hatfield in preparation for the UpCycle contest. (The Reporter/Geoff Patton)
Meanwhile, Habitat decided to use the empty home to promote the idea of repurposing furniture, or upcycling. The challenge suggests that contestants utilize thrift stores such as ReStore, a nonprofit home improvement store and donation center that benefits HFHMC. “We’re encouraging them to use as many items from the ReStore as possible,” Lynch said. The store sells furniture, paint, light fixtures and anything else you’d need to decorate a home. Designers are also allowed to buy materials elsewhere, but they can’t spend more than $500.
Diane, left, and Kamile Pietrak with a decorative wall hanging for a bedroom of the Habitat for Humanity house in Hatfield. (The Reporter/@GeoffPatton)