From salvage to shining: Woman does decor by 'Dumpster diving' (and polishing)
Kristine Kadlec’s one bedroom apartment is sunny and bright, and her decorating style could be described as having a casual and eclectic vibe.
Yet she describes it differently.
“Maybe it’s poverty meets artist, meets creativity, meets necessity is the mother of invention?
“I’ve decorated most of my one-bedroom apartment on the south side of Milwaukee by doing lots of Dumpster diving. … I’ve found end tables, a kitchen table, chests of drawers, a sewing table, mirrors and foot stools all by Dumpster diving,” she said.
She calls it a great way to decorate.
“I’m not only saving money but I’m also helping the environment. I see so much nice stuff that people could use or turn around and sell in a yard sale. It’s an untapped resource, and it’s amazing what you can find.
“If I didn’t pick up these pieces to use in my apartment, they would be in a landfill. It’s good for me financially, but it’s also good for the environment,” she said.
Kadlec, who is now retired, said she became interested in decorating with castoffs while living in California.
“I was trying to be a rich and famous artist and writer when I lived in Los Angeles. I didn’t have a lot of money then. I saw something on TV about people Dumpster diving there for food. I wasn’t comfortable taking food out of a Dumpster, but I thought I would see what I could find for my apartment.”
She began scouring her neighborhood for pieces for her home and soon found enough to fill it.
When she moved back to Milwaukee, where she was raised and where she has family, she sold almost all of her belongings and found an apartment here.
That was about 10 years ago.
“I was only working part-time and did not have a whole lot of money and I had no furniture. So I went to a thrift store and bought a small lamp, and a toaster, and my sister gave me a couch, and a chair. And then I bought a bed,” she said.
She began searching her new neighborhood for furnishings.
“At first I would go out for 20 or 30 minute walks for exercise and I would walk through the alleys behind my building to look for pieces. Now I go to a nearby suburb where I find things and I walk for about 45 minutes.”
This resulted in a home that has a mix of styles, which is a look she loves.
“There are some older pieces and some pieces that are retro. The table my TV is on looks older to me because it has spindly legs. And I have a mirror in my bedroom that’s oval and is old. But my end tables are kind of new.”
Kadlec said she assesses items to see if they will fit her home.
“Once I find a piece, I think ‘where will I use this? Will it fit into my apartment?’ If I can’t answer these questions, I leave it there. I also don’t take pieces that would need a whole lot of repair.”
Next, she has to get them home.
Because she doesn’t have a car, she moves pieces with a luggage cart.
Once home, she cleans them, then draws on her creative talents to make them fit into her home.
“Mostly I’m just cleaning them and polishing the wood. Sometimes I might tighten a screw. I buy those little wood markers to cover scratches at the Dollar Store. They can make a piece look so much better.
“One dresser in my bedroom was so scuffed up that I painted it. It was already painted a yellow color, and the colors in my bedroom are gold and blue, so I went with the yellow that was on the dresser because it matched. I also painted the pulls different colors.
“Once I found a shelving unit that was black and I painted it different colors. I used yellow, purple, blue and green, and then I got decorative tape in a floral print at a dollar store and I added that.
“When I found two yellow plastic tables I used Sharpies on them to make decorative circles to give them some personality.”
In addition to finding furniture, she has brought home accent pieces, even kitchenware.
“I have a really nice mirror with a stained glass frame around it. It’s just beautiful. I also have a beautiful blue vase, and I found a really nice small shelf that I put in my bedroom.
“Some people might turn their noses up at using used kitchen pieces, but all they usually need is some soap, water and a Brillo pad. I’ve found a lot of glasses, some nice serving bowls and pots and pans,” she said.
She said she even found money and has made money.
“Once I saw a small rectangular plaid suitcase. I always liked plaid, so I picked it up. I unzipped it and it looked clean so I took it home. I cleaned it on the outside and then on the inside. Then I took it out on my balcony and I was shaking it out and I saw an opening and it looked like there was money in it. There was a $50 bill that was folded in half and inside of that were two $20 bills and a $10 bill. If I hadn’t picked it up, it would have gone to the landfill. I took the money to the bank and they said they were very old bills.
“When I was living in California I came across some decorative hangers that were still in cellophane. They had the faces of women painted on them. I took them to a resale store, and they paid me $5 each for them,” she said.
She recently talked about her home.
Question: How many pieces in your home are castoffs?
Answer: About 80%.
Q: What kind of art do you create?
A: Paper weave art. I use things like pages from old magazines and junk mail. I also do collage artwork.
Q: Do you have pieces of your art in your home?
A: In my living room I have some of my paper weave art on the wall. In addition to making the artwork I also decorate the frames. One I covered with Juicy Fruit gum wrappers, and one has Tootsie Roll Pop wrappers. I wrote the company and told them I was an artist and asked if they would send me some of their wrappers, and they did. I have also used things like lottery tickets and the edges of old negatives in my artwork.
I have also taken a wine bottle, vases and pots that I’ve found and added collage artwork to them.
Q: What’s the nicest piece of furniture you’ve ever found?
A: My two end tables. They were sitting by a garage down the road. One has a really nice piece of glass in it. They were both in mint condition, and they are a beautiful color of wood. One has a drawer in it. It was a really nice find.
Q: Do you still look for pieces for your home?
A: Yes, but mostly small things. I still walk daily for exercise, and I always bring along a plastic bag in case I find something. But now I’m selective, as I don’t need a lot.
Q: Do you actually climb into Dumpsters for items?
A: No. Usually the pieces are next to dumpsters or garages. Sometimes they are in front of the homes.
Q: Do you think there are many others who Dumpster dive these days?
A: Yes. I’m not the only one doing this. Sometimes I see signs on discarded pieces saying they are free. They’re saying take it and use it if you can.
Q: Do you ever have pieces you can no longer use?
A: Not too often. Once I got a chair I thought would be a good fit, but wasn’t. I put it next to my apartment door with a sign saying it was free, and a neighbor took it.”
Q: What kind of feedback do you get when you tell people your home is furnished with castoffs?
A: People are surprised but they say it looks nice. They also say they like what I’m doing. I think I may have influenced some people. They will often say they want to start doing this.
Q. How does Milwaukee compare with California when it comes to finding great pieces for your home?
A: Milwaukee is better because we have alleys here. They didn’t have alleys where I lived in California.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dumpster diving and artwork fill much of Milwaukee woman's home
