A MUM-OF-THREE who is passionate about saving furniture from landfills has turned her hobby into an successful upcycling business.

Sam Harvey, from Northwich, began her journey by revamping a number of chairs before devoting more time to projects during lockdown.

And, after acquiring skills in upholstery and furniture restoration through seminars and online courses with skilled craftspeople, the 41-year-old has now set up her own thriving side business.

Sam, who works as a pastoral care manager at a secondary school, set up Another Story on Facebook and specialises in transforming unloved and unwanted furniture into bespoke pieces, designed to fit in with their owners’ existing décor.

She said: “I believe that any furniture should be given a chance to work better or smarter for people. I work with my clients to reimagine their furniture.

“The aim is to stop things going into landfill, and to help people keep family pieces they don’t want to get rid of, but that don't really go well with what they’ve got. It’s about making those pieces fit in."

Sam spends as much time as she can spare working on private commissions, and on pieces of furniture she has personally saved from being thrown away.

Northwich Guardian: Chest of drawers, before and after (Another Story)Chest of drawers, before and after (Another Story) (Image: Another Story)

She added: "My favourite piece is the one I’ve done most recently. I’ve reimagined an antique table on wheels.

"The top was chipped and battered, and the wheels had gummed up with goodness know what – but a lot of it was hair.

"I took inspiration from Halloween. I sanded it all down, painted it in black eggshell, and trimmed it with gold."

Northwich Guardian: Table, before and after (Another Story)Table, before and after (Another Story) (Image: Another Story)

Prospective clients can message Sam directly though Facebook and Instagram, and she will work closely with them to reimagine their furniture and turn it into something they can cherish.

She added: "That feeling, when you take something that was going to be binned, or somebody really hated, and you completely reimagine it into something else and it becomes a thing of beauty. It’s the best feeling in the world.

"One thing I’m yet to do is find something on the side of the road. I would love to find an abandoned piece of furniture on the roadside and think, ‘Oh yes, I need to do that’."