Date published: 16 April 2026
When Kate York and her wife Alice need something for their Liverpool home, they don’t go shopping, they embark on an adventure of discovery.
One of their greatest finds ever was an immaculate Laura Ashley sofa, which cost precisely nothing.
Using websites like ‘Freecycle’, ‘Trash Nothing’ and local marketplaces, the couple have been able to furnish every room for next to nothing.
“We must have saved thousands over the years,” says Kate, who works as a leadership personal assistant at Mersey Care. Alice is a Mersey Care support worker.
“We’re not crafty in the slightest but we can be quite creative when it comes to finding a new use for things.”
Perched next to a sofa that has been passed on by a friend is a mid century sewing table, now living its best second life displaying plants and keepsakes after a funky paint job.
An original 1950s Shefco kitchen larder cabinet was being given away for free. Restored, the cabinet could fetch £100s on eBay. It now serves as a quirky yet practical bar, displaying the vintage champagne glasses they picked up in a charity shop.
Perched next to a sofa that has been passed on by a friend is a mid century sewing table, now living its best second life displaying plants and keepsakes after a funky paint job.
“Vintage items were made to last,” says Kate.
As well as jigsaws and books – all picked up second hand at a fraction of the retail cost – the couple have sourced second hand camping equipment and even a free dinghy.
Kate says, “We get a great deal of pleasure from knowing we have stopped so much stuff going to landfill. And we love the challenge of finding a new use for things – it makes shopping so much more interesting!”