Stylish second acts
A new book turns trash into fabulous home design treasure.
Astro Turf-covered pillows and a chair lined with foam pool noodles are just two of the ingenious, inspiring ideas John and Linda Meyers put in their new book, Wary Meyers’ Tossed & Found: Unconventional Design From Cast-offs. The husband-and-wife design team behind Wary Meyers Decorative Arts in Portland, Maine, shows readers exactly how to repurpose junk into home accessories with complete step-by-step instructions that will have you reevaluating your so-called trash.
The book is a continuation of their yearlong TimeOut New York column, Tossed & Found. John Meyers, former display director for bohemian women’s clothing and home furnishings retailer Anthropologie, drew the illustrations and wrote the text. Linda Meyers, who worked as an art director for a decade before the pair cofounded their design firm five years ago, did the graphic design and collaborated on the eccentric projects, which include seating, lighting, storage, tables, and decorative accessories.
“Some of the projects are super easy,” says John. “We’re not experts. I’m not a carpenter. We don’t have sophisticated tools at all.” In fact, like most things in their house, even the hammers and nails were scored at yard sales. But Linda does draw a line: “I wouldn’t, say, go pick up a mattress or even a couch, but absolutely, we’ve found some fantastic things on the side of the road.”
“My favorite project is the pool-noodle chair,” says John. “It had its origin in design with Eileen Gray; it’s based on her Bibendum chair, which she based on the Michelin man.” Adds Linda, “You could probably throw it in the pool and float on it -- although we haven’t tried that.” Yet.
“We really wanted it to be an inspiration to people, that you might not necessarily make a project like ‘The Golden Drip,’ but you could take an element and make it your own,” says Linda. (“The Golden Drip” is a rattan chair outfitted with a puffy upholstered metallic drip oozing down the seat.) And if you like the look but aren’t up for trash picking, yard-sale visiting, and thrift-store haunting, the pair’s firm offers interior design services.
“I don’t think we’ve ever gone into a store and bought something new [to decorate our home],” says Linda. “The book is a nice coming together in that we can be environmental, saving stuff from landfills, and also do something we love.”
Molly Jane Quinn is the associate editor of Design New England magazine. Send comments to designing@globe.com. 
