When you think about upcycling — the noble act of creatively repurposing objects otherwise destined for the tip — what's the first thing that comes to mind?
I bet it's that bloke you always see on Trade Me asking 500 bucks for a bar leaner cobbled together out of old pallets, or could it be Sally Ridge, cheerfully sticking plastic rhinestones to an old lamp base with a hot glue gun?
The last thing most of us would imagine is a proper designer, somebody with some form of credentials and expertise. Certainly that's the last kind of person you'd expect to find on a reality show, so often the domain of the overconfident amateur. But TV still has the ability to surprise and delight, and Design Junkies, which began on TVNZ 1 on Thursday night, is a surprising and delightful exception to the rule.
The six contestants include a sculptor from Wellsford, a helicopter pilot-turned furniture designer from Wellington and a young guy with a design masters, also from Wellington.
The first episode's brief, set by host and popular artist Shane Hansen, was to make a coffee table out of bits of old house, sourced from Burrell Salvage in Grey Lynn.