Goddess of Garbage: Carol Tanzi

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Photo By Morgan Cowin

When interior designer Carol Tanzi adopts her Goddess of Garbage persona–poof–she turns trash to treasure.

Birth of the goddess: An award-winning interior designer in Burlingame, California, Tanzi is appalled when clients throw out functional furnishings while redecorating. Keen on educating people about reuse and recycling, she created her alter-ego, the Goddess of Garbage, and coined the word recyclizing: acquiring found materials or throw-away objects and using them as home décor.

Working magic: Tanzi takes junk and creates things of beauty: wall art from Styrofoam packing material, stools from painted tire rims, old radiators for desk legs, and discarded granite slabs for tabletops. “Recycled decorating keeps garbage out of the landfill, conserves resources, saves money, and exercises your creativity,” she notes.

Dumpster etiquette: Ask first; in some places, Dumpster diving is illegal without permission. Never enter a Dumpster after rainfall because it’s slippery. Wear boots, thick gloves, safety goggles, and an orange jacket so garbage trucks can spot you.

Most heavenly find: Framed oil painting of Abraham Lincoln in mint condition that Tanzi gave to a Lincoln memorabilia collector.

  • Published on Jul 1, 2004
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