upcycled? I don't get it.  

Perhaps they had no choice...
Perhaps they had no choice but to paint it? Original finish could have been badly damaged or badly painted by someone previously?

that's a really good point. I...
that's a really good point. In fact it looks quite nice. But what if it wasn't damaged!!! What if!!

Don't hyperventilate, just...
Don't hyperventilate, just take it like it is! 🙂

.

Thanks Jim. I just got carrie...
Thanks Jim. I just got carried away.

Painted furniture
Painted timber furniture and faux wood grain laminates, it's hard to imagine a reason for these design trends. Of course, there are a few exceptions but I would argue that in most cases it doesn't add aesthetic value.
My partner once found a cute little 1950's steel rod side table on the street. It had faux wood grain adhesive plastic laminate on the table top which we were able to peel off, and underneath was a beautiful piece of timber which polished up perfectly. I imagine that the plastic laminate had been added to protect the original surface, but what's the point when you conceal the beauty?
A few dents and imperfections tell the story of the furniture, so it seems a shame to strip away all that history.