Estonia, Tallinn
By: Mööblikom
www.mooblikom.com

Old furniture is given a new lease of life

Solution
Mööblikom is a shop where people bring their old furniture to be given a new look and find a new owner. The shop sells both bespoke and ready-made furniture, all made from pieces that would otherwise have been thrown away, and also repairs furniture. The pieces are mostly from the 1960s or before. The main motivation for the founders is environmentalism, but they also make a small profit.

Background
When people move into a new home, they often cannot use their old furniture but it may be perfectly suitable for other people. The aims of the project are to wake peoples’ consciences, and make them think more deeply about how they live. Basically it costs the same to restore old chair as to buy a new one, but by saving one chair you also save the materials for the new, now un-needed, chair.

Current state of development
Mööblikom started in December 2002, and believes it is unique. It would like to expand, and take advantage of the increasing in environmentally friendly thinking, as well as consumers who want something a bit different. Any profit comes from the sale price, minus time, service and materials. Mööblikom has 50 to 100 clients in a month, with more in the summer and fewer in the winter.

The benefits

Society
This service promote the creative re-use of goods, meanwhile developing, and maintaining, craftsmanship skills.

Environment
Recycling old furniture reduces consumption of new furniture and increases a product’s life cycle.

Economy
The cost of restoring old furniture or buying a restored one is similar to buying a new one.

The quality of the experience
Pleasure of finding a unique, even personalised, piece of furniture

Future development possibilities
Developing the skills to (re_manufacture furniture. Spreading the culture of creative re-use.
Designing furniture that can be restored and re-reconfigured to the peoples’ taste.

Authors:
Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia
Kärt Ojavee

Juta is a 25-year-old lawyer, who found out about this service by chance. She needed a new bed with unusual dimensions, in a particular colour and for a good price. Mööblikom was able to make her just the right bed! She finds Mööblikom a brilliant solution because she got something 100% right for her, and unquestionably unique.