About Urbane Reclamation
Welcome! Urbane Reclamation is an upcycled furniture business specializing in finding the hidden potential in old, forgotten furniture. A constantly rotating inventory of updated furniture is available for purchase along with custom design services to transform your outdated piece. All furniture is unique and one-of-a-kind!
"Upcycling" adds value and creates demand for discarded furniture. Here is how Urbane Reclamation tries to keep reuse and recycling as core concepts of its business:
- Only well-constructed, durable furniture, that is meant to last for generations, is selected for "upcycling" makeovers.
- All pieces are used, second-hand, or pre-loved and found at estate sales, flea markets, thrift stores, Craigslist, etc.
- Non-hazardous water-based paints are used for easy clean up and no/low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- When possible, recycled, leftover, or excess paint is used.
- Frequently used items, such as primers and sealers, are bought in bulk to save on packaging.
- Specific paint colors are purchased in small quantities to minimize paint waste.
- Fabric is often vintage or unused remnants someone else’s project.
- Excess materials and scraps are donated to Construction Junction or Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse for someone else’s creative endeavors.
About Emily
Emily is an environmentally-conscious DIYer, and the raw talent behind Urbane Reclamation's unique upcycled furniture. When she’s not designing the next one-of-a-kind piece, you can find her searching for eco-friendly alternatives or looking for ways to reuse existing materials.
Emily has a mixed background in design, fashion, and the environment. She studied at Carnegie Mellon University, majoring in architecture with a minor in industrial design and worked for a well-known urban design firm in Pittsburgh. Making a lateral move into fashion, she attended Parsons The New School for Design and interned for the visual team at Anthropologie. Wanting to understand how sustainability enhances design, Emily completed a Master of Environmental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she learned the importance of resource conversation and high environmental standards within businesses. Urbane Reclamation is a happy blend of all of these disciplines, highlighting design in an eco-friendly way.
