Some people call it recycling. I call it repurposing.
We are living in a world of recycling. Thank goodness I didn’t have an older brother or cousin. I got new clothes as I grew out of the old ones. My poor younger sister had to re-use our older sister’s clothes. I always felt sorry for her.
In college, I did get the family furniture hand-me-downs. Some were very beautiful antiques, yet nothing cool and modern as a young person would desire. However, it teaches a person how to be thrifty and make do with what you have.
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Being thrifty also makes one appreciate when they can afford something new.
In working with clients, I regularly have to repurpose something. Sometimes for the sentimental value and sometimes for the sake of the budget. Nevertheless, I enjoy the challenge of making something old feel new again.
Age is wise and beautiful after all!
With all of the YouTube tutorials, many people want to get creative and repaint a family heirloom, maybe to their parents’ dismay.
Chalk paint, distress painting and glazes have become all the rage in giving a piece new life. A lacquer finish can make what once a traditional antique into a modern furniture pop!
Sometimes just refinishing a furniture piece, restoring it to its original beauty can be very gratifying and allow it to make its own statement within a more modern setting. Some pieces need a little more TLC, and there are companies that specialize in fixing aesthetic and technical issues with an old piece of furniture.
You can repurpose a piece of furniture from what it was originally intended to be used for.
A taller China cabinet could be used in a bathroom and filled with rolled bath towels and bath salts. An old Dining Room buffet could be reused as a diaper changing station in a nursery.
Keep an open mind and consider other purposes for a piece that has you stumped. Your mother will thank you for re-using her grandmother’s heirloom! If only a pair of old dining chairs exist, group them together and create a secondary seating area if space is limited.
Consider using something you have used outdoors into your interior design or vice-versa. If your home design is more farmhouse, you might find it fun to bring something inside. Think about Cracker Barrel. They have farm equipment hanging on the walls!
An outdoor patio could easily be spruced up, maybe even temporarily, with silk plants, candles or linen. Be mindful of bringing wood furniture outdoors as the humidity could take its toll on the wood. And metal can rust! Think it through.
So, before you throw anything away, think about a new use, maybe with a new finish, for the piece. It just might be a placeholder until your budget can afford what you really want.
