Somewhere in Yangon right now, a perfectly good cabinet is about to be thrown away. Its hinges are loose, its finish is flaking and nobody wants it any more. At Mickey’s Real Wood, that’s exactly the kind of piece we fall in love with.
In this post, we’ll walk you through what happens between “unwanted” and “heirloom” — so you know exactly what goes into the upcycled furniture you bring home.
1. It starts with a rescue
Our in-house pieces begin as discarded or unwanted furniture and reclaimed wood. Before we pick up a single tool, we inspect each piece’s condition and decide on the best approach: restore it, redesign it, or give its wood a brand-new shape.
2. Fixing what’s broken
Next, we repair structural deformations and wood cracks, and we only replace hardware such as hinges and handles when it’s truly needed. Wherever we can, we keep the original — on one 100-year-old writing bureau, we repaired everything without using a single nail or screw.
3. A fresh start for the surface
Old, flaking finishes come off through careful sanding or by hand. Then we choose a wood stain that suits the type of wood, or a colour that suits your home.
4. Where the art comes in
This is our favourite part. Our artists add hand-painted details — Myanmar hornbills, scarlet macaws, tropical flowers — that turn practical storage into a visual story. Every brushstroke is done by hand, so no two pieces are ever the same.
5. Finishing and the journey home
Finally, the piece is carefully finished to bring out its beauty and durability. Then we deliver it within Yangon with our own trucks and skilled staff, or you can pick it up yourself.
Upcycling takes more time than building from new wood. But it means less waste, fewer new trees harvested, and furniture with a story you can actually tell.
That’s the whole journey — from forgotten to forever.
Ready to meet a piece with a past?
Explore our in-house creations
