Calgary designer’s passion for upcycling decor is reflected in her upcoming workshops

Sarah Kirkpatrick opened the interior decorating and staging service Unshelf Design out of her love for upcycling decor. Whether that’s reusing cherished pieces in a new way or completely flipping décor found at a garage sale or thrift shop, Kirkpatrick has a keen eye for finding uses for items she finds. Now, Kirkpatrick has added a décor consignment boutique to Unshelf’s list of services and she also hosts workshops to teach people ways they can style and decorate their home. From a Thrift Shopping Field Trip Workshop to a Make Your Bed Workshop to an Office Styling Workshop, there’s something for everyone coming up this year. We caught up with Kirkpatrick to learn more about Unshelf and its upcoming workshop on June 22.

Tell us about Unshelf Design and its goals.

Unshelf Design offers four main services: Interior Decorating, Occupied Staging, Resale Redesign, & Decor Consignment. Our goal is to create spaces that hug and heal our clients when they walk in. Unshelf Boutique is an extension of that and a vessel for creating ease into sustainable design. We help customers rehome decor items that no longer bring them joy and find new pieces for their home that put a smile on their face and it’s the only exclusively decor consignment store in Calgary focusing on modern, trendy home styling, and run by interior designers.

What types of workshops do you hold for Calgarians?

Our passion is to empower people to create spaces that they feel proud of and that hug them every time they walk in. To achieve this, we host monthly design workshops in Calgary at our Design Lab geared towards ‘moments’ in the home. Our 12 signature hands-on mini-design workshops are each held once per year as they are hosted around special days and holidays and cover design and styling techniques. Held recurring throughout the year, our feature 'Fundamentals, Finishes, and Flatlays' workshop and 'Styled Vignette' workshop are specialized and specific to every day joyful spaces.

Tell us about your upcoming June workshop.

This 45-minute Decor Upcycling workshop is a seminar-style workshop where I will lead participants in demonstrations for easy decor repurposing and walk them through the ins and outs of finding new ways to love their old (or thrifted) decor. Participants will learn: How to repurpose decor, how to restyle decor, upcycling techniques, and tips for getting creative in thrift stores/second-hand markets. This workshop will open people's minds to exciting new possibilities for items they already own. After all, why buy something new if you have something that can be repurposed to be one-of-a-kind?

Why should Calgarians upcycle their décor?

There are so many wonderful benefits to upcycling your decor. First and foremost, upcycling prevents the disposal of potentially harmful materials into the ecosystem through the cycle of supply and demand. On a lifestyle note, upcycling helps to save money and allows you to style your home in a more unique way in a world stuffed with Homesense and Ikea. We want to share the benefits of upcycling decor so that others can see the beauty in refreshing and reusing items that they already own and inject some soul into their spaces. We advocate for saving the environment and creating beautiful homes at the same time!