Our Eco Jo

Meet our Jo from our Bedquarters...

Our Jo is a little bit of an eco whiz and is hugely passionate about all thing sustainability. We've been chatting with her about her super bar in her garden that's made all from reclaimed wood, and how she uses some of her passions to upcycle old and worn out clothes, into something brand new.

Jo and her family are also very planet conscious in their everyday life, and always try to buy local produce when they can from the local shops and butchers. They love supporting their local community and Jo says it gives them a sense of doing better.

We've been chatting with Jo, and she has given us a little bit of insight into what it's like to create your very own bar, sourcing the right materials, and a little bit about how she upcycles clothes for her family.

Why a bar? Well, my partner in crime, Dan, said last summer when we moved into our new family home that he wanted to build a bar for us to have to enjoy together as a family and with friends. I never imagined this bar would be basically a 3rd of our garden – but he had imagined what he wanted to build and started in April. We sourced some materials new – the main structural pieces but we were both keen to be able to reuse materials and to give the bar a rustic feel. Dan has built the bar entirely himself, engineering it as he goes. We decided to used reclaimed pallets to clad out the interior of the bar. The best thing about this was it kept our costs to a minimum and helped on our footprint too – we are both conscious about the materials we use in everyday life so where can we try to do better.

Jo and Dan have even created this impressive bar top with stones from their garden and resin to make a beautiful river scene. Using materials from their garden meant that they could save money, and also reduce their carbon footprint by not buying brand new stones.

Not only are Jo and Dan eco construction whiz's, but Jo is also handy when it comes to textiles. Jo goes out and sources unwanted materials from many places, including charity shops where she purchases garments with a vision in mind of how she would like to use them.

I have worked in textiles and fashion since leaving school, and the fashion industry has really taught me a lot about how we can do better by sourcing better raw materials, reusing and looking after our clothing items better and not just discarding them if they don’t fit current trends.
I have been exploring sustainability through my work and at home, always questioning what I do and use daily and how as a family we can do better. I have always repaired and upcycled clothing and have my own little brand now focusing on baby clothing for now ‘Revive and Revolve’ – this has meant I can put my dreams into practice.