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Humans of Petit – Elise

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What made you want to volunteer?

Elise I volunteered because after my University degree in Furniture and Product Design I found it very hard to get any replies from furniture design jobs due to the fact all the designing is now done via CAD. I was traditionally trained which is why I chose the course in the first place, I drew by hand and made by hand. This lead me to volunteer and Petit Miracles I needed some form of furniture creation to keep me using my hands.

How would you describe Petit Miracle Interiors?

Petit Miracles is a really nice place to be, the shop and workshop are bright and clean, everyone who works there is really friendly and helpful. The environment is relaxed which means cracking on with some upcycling is very therapeutic and enjoyable.

Have you developed new skills whilst volunteering?

I have learnt how to look at old furniture in a different way before I would chop it up and use the wood to make something new, but it has taught me to appreciate the original design, even when it is not my taste.

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Upcycling in W12 with Petit Miracles – An inspired Mother’s day present – Guest Blog

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In the days before the word upcycling had been dreamt of, I was hard at work with a paintbrush, slapping the wrong paint onto unprepared surfaces, covering walls and furniture with wonkily aligned stencilling and generally making everyone wish I’d just left things alone.

This is what my son Ben was channelling when he booked me into an upcycling workshop. He got the idea past my creative sensitivities by saying it was a belated Mother’s Day treat.

Arriving for the workshop

And so we turned up for one of the Saturday workshops at the Petit Miracles hub in Shepherds Bush’s W12 Shopping Centre. Our little group had grown to four with daughter Georgina and Ben’s girlfriend Kirsty, also keen to release their hidden upcycler.  Read more

Humans of Petit: Junior

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My name is Junior, I live in Victoria and I have been volunteering at Petit Miracles for almost 2 years. I initially came to Petit on a work experience placement. I enjoyed it a lot; I met new friends, learned new skills and really enjoyed the work I was doing and skills learned. After the placement finished, I decided to stay on as a volunteer to continue my learning and develop myself and the skills I had gained. I have learned many different aspects of the workshop, from the correct use of hand tools and the traditional methods used, to learning how to use rotary saws such as the mitre saw and electric sanding machines.

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Humans of Petit: Federico

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My name is Federico and I am from a town just outside of Rome. I recently completed a degree in Furniture Design. The qualification involved all the stages from initial concept of a piece, right through to creation. I was offered to come to England on a 6 month internship through my college and was placed at Petit Miracles.

Here, I have learned more about commercialisation in the furniture industry but also have had the chance to learn and use different materials I had never used before; different types of paint, finishes, oils and stains. On top of all of this, I am also slowly improving my English!

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Humans of Petit: Abdul

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Abdul is currently on a 6-month placement with Petit Miracles. Originally from Italy, Abdul studied furniture design with a specialized focus on construction. After 5 years studying he has decided to throw himself, not only into a working environment but also into another country, test what he has learnt.

Within a short period of time he has developed an understanding of customer needs, standards, the demands and deadlines associated with the industry.

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Humans of Petit: Kate Moore

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Kate Moore – General Manager

I have always been interested in furniture and loved being creative but never really had the confidence to pursue it as a career. I saw an advert for an apprentice position at Petit Miracles and the rest is history! I am now general manager, my role includes Upholstery for the shop and bespoke orders, helping customers with their queries, making sure the shop looks beautiful and whenever I can I will be in the workshop!

Petit Miracles has given me confidence in myself and abilities and helped me grow as a person. I love working here because it’s a really creative environment, we have a great group of staff and volunteers and every day is different! My favourite piece of furniture so far has to be ‘Hattie’, a multi-media chest of drawers, one of the first pieces I worked on.

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Partnership project: Viridian housing

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We have been working in partnership with housing association Viridian Housing to transform a communal area creating a warm and welcoming space for their residents.  Viridian residents volunteered to learn how to upcycle furniture and work with our team, over a span of 12 weeks the volunteers have been working very hard, learning restoration and upcycling techniques in our workshop.

Residents now have a lovingly refurbished communal area complete with upcycled treasures, It’s the first space to be redecorated under the new project Changing Spaces and the photos speak volumes. What do you think of the results?

Fancy having your space receive an overhaul?  Get in touch and see whats possible! info@petitmiracles.org.uk

Viridian photos