Milk-carton home for our feathered friends

The shape is sleek and based on a carton for milk or juice, but this birdhouse is special in many ways. Every product developed by the British design studio Jam Furniture conforms to the principles of upcycling. The designers themselves say that they harass local manufacturers until they get permission to take away any discarded plywood. They take metal from broken washing machines and dishwashers found at scrapyards. The sheet metal is then bent into shape and painted matt white so it will withstand even the most severe weather conditions. The perch, made of solid brass, is textured, offering birds the best grip. The four butterfly nuts allow the birdhouse to be opened for cleaning. The house has been approved by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which recommends cleaning every autumn.