Upcycling ─ 20 Creative Projects Made from Reclaimed Materials

Ever thought about transforming that rusty old item in the garage into something awesome to impress your dinner guests, or fancied refurbishing the random old dining chair in the shed but don't have the tools or knowhow?

In Upcycling Max McMurdo teaches you how to discover inner design genius, where to find great scrap items and techniques and tips on how to transform them into great designs that will last longer and look better than any of that high street chipboard nonsense.

Upcycling adds value to an item through clever design to make it more desirable financially, aesthetically and emotionally. Max shows simple design ideas throughout the book that will inspire you to roll up your sleeves and have a go. Step away from the chipboard and venture out of your comfort zone and into a glorious world of doodles, sanding, waxing, stunning colours and the satisfaction of telling people you made that!

You don't have to own the latest expensive tools or have any previous experience. If you're an experienced wood worker then maybe you will be interested in paint finishing techniques or upholstery? Some of the projects involve only a few simple steps and can be completed within an hour, whereas others may take the best part of a weekend and combine several different materials, techniques and tools. Whichever project you choose the most important thing is to try and have fun and remember design is all about experimenting, learning and not always getting it right!

Max McMurdo officially started his career turning junk into treasure as a child crafting washing up liquid bottles into spaceships! After graduating from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 in Product Design and Visualisation in 2000, Max fulfilled his boyhood dream and became a car designer in Cologne, Germany.In 2003 he established his business reestore ltd with the aim to design and create a range of upcycled furniture and accessories from objects destined for landfill. By 2007, reestore had won several design awards and featured in many galleries and exhibitions and Max decided to pitch it to BBC's Dragons Den for investment. After a successful pitch, he left with investment from Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis. With their input reestore grew from a hobby fuelled by passion to one of the UK's most respected and renowned designers and manufacturers of upcycled products. Reestore now has a client list that includes The Body Shop and has completed several installations for Google's head offices globally. In 2014 the company won gold at the Chelsea Flower show with Kate Gould Gardens.Max is also a TV presenter and after two series of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces, Fill Your House For Free and Channel 4's summer hit Shed of the Year he is now the go-to presenter for product design and repurposing.