There’s design and upcycle design. Or to put it in another way, there’s a product without a history and one with a history/story. Take a chair for instance. The design can be amazing, but what can make it even more interesting and stand out is a history, a former life. And you guest it, that’s where upcycle design is the winner. And I’m very glad that I’m able to show you a fantastic upcycle design piece to substantiate this fact.

Relax in a wheelbarrow

Picture this situation: What about being at a backyard sale and not being able to rest your weary legs and feet? Well you just search for a wheelbarrow, put it down in such a way that the handles are tipped down and sit in it. And then you discover that this is actually a very relaxed and comfortable way to sit.


This is exactly what happened to Karl Sanford who designed this Wheelbarrow Chair. After this discovery Karl started to work on the creation of a chair made out of a wheelbarrow. Unfortunately a wheelbarrow in its natural form isn’t very attractive. Being someone who likes to design furniture he created a pair of organic formed legs. The chair consists of a wheelbarrow bucket with birch plywood legs and steel bracing. This steel really gives the entire chair a modern look. The finish is an automotive grade urethane that is extremely durable.


Another fun fact that adds to this great story about this chair is that Misty, his wife, did the marketing. She thought it was such an amazing design that it should be shown to the world. I’m glad she did because otherwise we might not have known about this chair.

Photos © Karl Sanford

The seat itself looks very comfortable due to the depth and space of the tub. All in all a real eye-catcher for your any interior.

Design by Karl Sanford