Decorating on a Budget: Re-purposing Old Furniture

One great way to decorate an apartment on a budget is to repurpose old or used furniture. Following are some inventive ideas for used furniture. Try a few of these in your home and create a space with individual style on a limited budget.

Creative Uses for Old Chairs

You can breathe life into an old chair by giving it a fresh coat of paint and reupholstering the seat with an interesting piece of fabric found at your local consignment or thrift shop. For a very small investment, you can have a brand new chair. However, there are other uses for that old chair. One idea is to use the chair as a plant holder. Old wrought iron patio chairs make great plant stands. They are heavy, so they can hold larger plants. A used child’s chair is also great for holding smaller plants and when painted in bright colors, have a fun, whimsical look.

Repurposing Unusual Furniture Pieces

It is not unusual to come across mismatched or odd pieces of furniture at estate or garage sales. Even if you don’t play the piano, a piano bench can be a great find with many uses. For the most part, piano benches have seats that open up for storing music books. You can place a piano bench behind a couch, to serve as a sofa table, or at the foot of a bed and use it for storing linens or sheets. An old piano bench also makes a great coffee table that opens up to hold magazines or books.

A hutch can also have many uses other than sitting on top of a desk. Depending on its size, a hutch can be used as a shoe cubby or a closet organizer. It can also be screwed to the wall and serve as a shelf for holding bathroom supplies or for displaying knick knacks.

Repurposing Leftovers from A Remodel

If you recently remodeled your kitchen, instead of throwing out your old countertop, find a new use for it. An old Formica island countertop works great as a desk. All you need are three sheets of standard particleboard for the legs and back of the desk. With a little handy-work, you can create a very inexpensive desk. Old kitchen countertops also work great in the pantry or laundry room. Just cut the countertop to size, screw it into the wall above your washer and use it to hold your laundry supplies. A leftover sink from a kitchen remodel can become an interesting planter.

Your grandmother’s coffee table doesn’t need to go into the trash heap or off to the Salvation Army. With a creative eye, you can find new uses for your old furniture.