New Yorker, Leslie Oschmann, now based in Amsterdam, is a keen restorer of vintage furniture, however she is no ordinary recycler. Instead she restores tables and chairs by covering them in original oil paintings on canvas, to create new, striking pieces for interiors.

Oschmann browses markets for second hand furniture to reclaim and recycle. The designer says that living in Amsterdam is great for art lovers and artists as there are many studios and auctions taking place all the time, which is where she buys the canvases with which she decorates the furniture.

She starts by sanding down the wooden furniture, before wrapping the canvas around and nailing it in place. She then sands and seals the canvas with a clear lacquer to protect the original art.

Oschmann defends her decision to cover designer chairs in the paintings, which usually depict floral or landscape themes, by claiming the canvases enhance the original designs. “sometimes chairs look quite sterile but become more visual and tactile – and also more humble – when covered with paintings,” says Oschmann, who adds that what she does is simply a ‘classy form of recycling.”

A limited collection of her work is to be made available in the UK for the first time through the Conran Shop in London’s Fulham Road.