Repurpose Your Pad

By margaretjane

One of my favorite passtimes as a New Yorker is scouring the sidewalks for trashed furniture. I have a few rules governing what I will and won' t take. I adhere most strongly to the Nothing With Stuffing rule.

If you live in an area with a lower housing turnover, your second-hand gems likely come from a flea market or thrift store. However you come to aquire your UBF (ugly but functional) old furniture, there are a hundred ways to convert your cheepie/freebies into fabulous conversation pieces.

Anthropologie has some amazing hardware to update unattractive or missing knobs.

Design Your Life Blog suggests turning an old card catalog into a liquor cabinet!

Design Sponge gives step by step instructions on using fabric to decoupage. Check out these incredible before and after photos!

Other tips:

If you disassemble a partition screen, the panels can be hung seperately on the wall for a cool effect.

Old shutters make interesting alternatives to corkboards- stuff postcards, pictures, and notes in the slats.

If you' re in a home without many windows, hanging old frames on the wall can be a tongue-in-cheek way to make light of it (no pun intended). Also, they can help to take up wall space.

sanding the edges of picture frames, mirrors, tables, etc gives a weathered, vintage look.

To paint a surface with the same weathered affect, use a dry brush and do quick, light strokes back and forth as if you' re dusting. Usea very small amount of paint.

Repurposing furniture is not only cheap and creative, it' s a great step towards a sustainable, green lifestyle. Take a relaxed attitude toward it- some of my favorite pieces have come from happy accidents.

Tagged:
design home how to diy vintage refashion repurpose trash shabby chic decoration

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March 07, 2008

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Member since: 03/07/08
About: Freelance writer and stylist living in Brooklyn, NY. I love good design, animals, live music,...

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margaretjane

March 09, 2008

Hey guys, thanks for the welcome! Great to meet other thrifters. "Goodwill Hunting"-- so clever. I'm new to Curbly, but I love writing about fashion and interior design trends. Some of my other posts are on: www.myitthings/com/emjay/ It's a magazine written by bloggers.

ModHomeEcTeacher

March 08, 2008

Join the club. Check out a few Goodwill Hunting finds here on Curbly. There's so much out there you can re-style and repurpose. The creative problem solving challenges are also great for exercising the old noggin.

sparkie

March 08, 2008

Excellent Post!!! Welcome also. I love to "go junking" (free stuff at curbside for garbage pickup). My first experience was when stationed in Mannheim, Germany (US Army). A group of us climbed into a van w/ a couple bottles of wine (1970's) and hunted the streets. What fun!

Most recently, I just returned from a month long visit w/ my dau in LA, CA. SHe has several friends who have furnished their apts w/ nearly all free stuff (freecycle too). We picked up a lg trunk, basic 3 drawer student desk, shed storage shelves & cheap plants.

I have always wanted to know when/where more affluent people put their trash (pick-up service?). For giggles, we drove thru the streets of Beverly Hills one night and my dau pointed out that they probably don't put their stuff streetside & she remembered they have alleys behind their homes to garages, etc. We patrolled some alleys but unfortunately the rufuse service had already been there.

For variety, we later drove down Rodeo Dr and then saw Paris Hilton being mobbed by paparazzi (sp?) leaving Hotel/restaurant Marmont on Sunset Blvd. It was a full night. :)