tepping in to the newly opened Recycled Lane store in Northcote will most probably make you wish you'd picked up that wooden crate you saw on the side of the road, painted it red and rescued it like they would have done. Yet it's not just about sustainability; the functional operation of the piece is something that co-owners Barbara and Con value too.

In their uncluttered showroom space, timber is the material of choice, ageing it with a clean finish and uniting it with metal for that preferred industrial feel. Creative reinvention sees castor wheels attach conveniently to natural timber benches and old doors turn into new and workable tabletops. Wooden ladders, vintage dressmaking stands and beautiful enamel-coated signage decorate the space in a style not too dissimilar to a cafe, and suddenly the word 'recycle' seems a little downgrading.

Handmade and with a plan to attract more Australian artisans, each piece is lovingly made, supporting a quality that shies away from mass production runs and favours uniqueness with a little bit of personal history.

Recycled Lane
445 High Street, Northcote

Hours
Wed 10am–3pm
Thu 10am–5.30pm
Fri 10am–3pm
Sat 9.30am –4pm