Creative upcycled furniture ideas to give new life to old furniture
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What is the difference between recycling and upcycling? How are these different? Why do we upcycle old stuff? How to use it? The main difference between recycling and upcycling is that when you upcycle old furniture or household items, you do not process the material but you restore it and optionally, you can give a whole new role to various items. One of the simplest examples is to use old forks as clothes hooks.
We have collected original and creative upcycled furniture ideas which will hint you how to give new life to old furniture. Do not rush to buy new things! If you have old furniture, do not throw it. Perhaps these examples will give you inspiration to create beautiful new things for your home. Upcycling old furniture and household items that you think of as useless can be a fun experience as well as a way to customize and personalize your home decor in very creative ways. Old tables, chairs, cupboards, wooden pallets – none of these should be sent to garbage lightheartedly. Even the teacup set that you found in the attic of your grandmother can be used in many different ways – how about planting herbs or blooming flowers and have a lovely mini garden on the window sill?
Creative upcycled furniture ideas
The term “upcycling” first appeared in Germany in the early 90s to describe the process of reusing unwanted products or materials of high quality and cost. Nowadays, upcycling has become a hobby for many people and is gaining popularity by the day.
Recycling is a process which aims to turn waste into new products, to make the most of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of new raw materials. Recycling is a key component in reducing waste and many people are attracted to the idea of the 3Rs – “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. When you have chosen to be environmentally conscious, you will always find a way to use old furniture – whether you will restore it or use it in a different and creative way. There are millions of creative upcycled furniture ideas which demonstrate that anything can be upcycled and even the oldest of furniture can serve you.
It often happens that you undertake a remodel of your home and create a new modern, elegant and stylish interior and suddenly begin to realize that the design of your favorite couch or chair absolutely does not fit into any of the concept of modern style! Does it mean that you have to change all your furniture and buy new one? Well, this could be quite costly! Old furniture, for example, made of wood – cabinets, wardrobes, chairs, armchairs, sideboard tables – can be restored and given a whole new look so that they fit into your interior concept. In the old times furniture makers used high quality solid wood and it will be a total waste if you throw away such vintage pieces.
Upcycling, recycling and renewal process will be different depending on the degree of wear or damage of the furniture. You can just sand and polish a wooden table which is in a relatively good condition, give a new coat of paint to a sideboard table or change the upholstery of the old sofa with a new one. There is not a standard procedure. You have to use your creativity and imagination, try to envision how the upcycled furniture can be blended into your home. One thing is for sure – it will always be a conversational piece of furniture and will attract the attention of your visitors.
Creative upcycled furniture ideas – an excellent DIY project
Upcycling as a process can be implemented in many different ways depending on the material – paper, plastic, textiles, wood, etc. One thing that you have to realize – there are no rules, or systems, or criteria that you have to observe in the process of upcycling. The only criterion is your imagination, creativity and taste. Look at the upcycled furniture ideas in the gallery and you will find out that there are different ways to upcycle one and the same thing – wooden pallets, for example, can be used in so many different ways, a wine barrel can become an original coffee table or a side table, a birdcage can be used as an accessory in a Shabby Chic decor or transformed in a chandelier.
Vintage furniture and upcycled furniture is not necessarily one and the same thing. You can restore vintage furniture and at the same time give it a new function and thus upcycle it. You can give a new function to old furniture and use wooden crates as wall shelves, or use a ladder as a set of shelves for displaying decorative objects or your mini garden.
We all have in our house unused objects and sometimes we just do not want to throw them away. With a little effort you can make them very useful and original and save some money along the way! An environmentally conscious person thinks s before throwing something away – can it be reuses it in any other way? If you do not feel like an old furniture piece has a place in your home, try to use it in the garden or on the balcony. You can use an old chest of drawers to plant flowers, for storage, you can craft a bench from old wooden chairs. Just remember – giving a new life to old furniture does not require a lot of effort but it matters! If you are looking for some clever and creative way to reuse all those old things you want to get rid of, these 25 ideas will help you turn your trash into treasure. Apply them and take advantage of a clever and unique way to decorate your home and organize your space.
