Sustainability is the need of the hour. When it comes to home design, you should be trying to reduce your carbon footprint as much as possible. even if you are not building your home from scratch, you can always get an environment-friendly makeover by giving your existing furniture a facelift. You won’t believe the change it can bring!
Chances are that you already have some solid pieces that you can work with. Maybe it came with the house you bought, or it was handed down from older members of the family. Older furniture pieces that are found in many older homes are often made of pure solid wood and are handcrafted. You are lucky if you have such pieces, even if they seem a little run down. Other than the fact that you are not adding to global warming by getting new pieces, repurposing old furniture lets you use those old chairs and dressers for a new function. They also look creative and add character to your space.
Here are some ways you can give a new life to those old pieces:
1. Dressers
If you have an old, heavy, wooden dresser that you don’t want to use to store your clothes in, repurpose it! If the rest of your decor is white and light coloured, you can paint it white to match or set it apart by painting it a bright tone. Once painted, you can use it to store tools, crockery, toys (if you plan to place it in the children’s room) etc. If you are using it in the kids’ room, paint it with chalkboard paint so that the kids can draw on it.
2. Storage Containers
Paint cans and other containers that are often thrown away can be given a new life once emptied. Clean it out well, paint them and use them to store anything from nails, paintbrushes, toys, crayons and more. If you use chalkboard paint you can label them so your things are easy to find. Pick either one colour to give a uniform look on the shelf, or even similar tones will work.
3. Repurpose Trays
You may already have a few old wooden or metal trays lying around that are not in a good enough condition to serve in front of guests. You can also find them at antique stores sold at a steal. Paint these worn-out pieces to be converted into wall hangings or a placeholder. A bit of aluminum foil, some decoupage, and a gold finish gives them a contemporary, stylish look too.
4. DIY Coffee Tables
Instead of changing out your coffee table with a new one, try re-painting it, or decoupage it with wallpaper samples or even laminate it. If want to switch out your coffee table, you could repurpose an old window frame like this table for an uber-cool look. Simple add the legs and place a glass on top – and you have yourself a funky new table that’s truly unique.
5. Wooden Ladders
Wooden ladders are extremely versatile. They can be used for many purposes in almost any room of your home. In the bathroom, you can use it to hang towels, place rolled hand towels or keep scented candles and other decor items. They can as part of your balcony, foyer, bedroom or living room decor. Everything from plants, shoes, books, framed pictures and more can be used to decorate it.
6. Wooden Crates
Wooden crates are also extremely versatile pieces that can be transformed for many purposes- for storage, to make furniture and even as wall decor. Used as decor pieces, it lends a very raw, casual look. You may have some lying around at home used to store old newspapers and such. If you love recycling and repurposing old furniture, then wooden crates are a great place to start experimenting.
7. Old Trunk and Boxes
Metal and wooden boxes were previously used for travel and storage of clothes and furnishings. Although not used nowadays much, they still have many uses. They can replace coffee tables, be placed at the foot of the bed, and occupy pride of place in the living room. You could paint a few old boxes or trunks funky colours and pile them up like this. Keep the top one open and decorate with plants, seashells or other collectables. Old trunks and boxes also make excellent decor pieces at weddings and parties.
8. DIY Planters
You can make planters out of so many household objects including discarded boxes, kettles, bottles, tyres, sinks, bathtubs and even old wheelbarrows.
9. Door to Dining Table
A full-sized dining table can cost you thousands of rupees. A clever way to reuse an old door is to repurpose it as a dining table.
10. Palette Furniture
Palettes can be used to make various furniture, including beds. Low rise beds like these are stylish alternatives to expensive new beds.
Inspired? Ask your granny if you can look through her attic to find a nugget that could be transformed over a weekend. If you are repurposing old furniture pieces to renovate your home, they have the added benefit of costing you next to nothing. Ready to give your home a makeover? Get the help of experts at HomeLane.
