When it comes to green décor, recycled, sustainable, rapidly renewable, reclaimed and organic materials are everywhere. So, what else is there? As I scour the style world for fresh items, a new term keeps popping up: upcycling. Innovative designers are adopting this eco-friendly process to transform items that would be disposable into stylish lamps, tables, vases and more, minimizing waste and protecting the environment.

We’ve all seen décor made from recycled wine bottles, and the upcycled versions pour on the charm. In this case, a bottle serves as the base for the Crafty Naturalist table lamp in its original state (above).

By upcycling old growth wood, designer Michael Yonke created the modern, geometric Castitas Low table. One look at its sleek appearance and you’ll wonder why this precious material was ever discarded in the first place. Lucky for us, Yonke saw potential!

The inventive team at Jalex Studios comes up with the most unique resources when brainstorming new ideas. The base of their Modern Sleek vase is crafted from a computer hard disk drive.

Things are looking up!