Redecorating by repurposing

By Kristy Alpert

Repurposing is so much more than simply a tool to save money on your decorating budget — it’s about giving old items new life. Luckily, being a repurposer doesn’t mean digging through piles of garbage or thrift shopping your weekend away; it just takes a little creativity.

Chances are your house is brimming with items collecting dust, many that have great potential as repurposed decorative accessories.

Ideas for repurposing items in the home

Here are a few repurposing suggestions for your home or office:

• Paint — A coat of paint goes a long way. Painting wood furniture can turn anything into a matching set. Love that worn-out dresser but can’t find a place for it? (For more tips to turn antiques into new treasures, click here.) Paint it to match your dining room and use it as a storage piece for your dishes and table linens.
• Fabric — No need to run to the fabric store for your next repurposing feat. Silk slips or wool sweaters work great for recovering throw pillows, and grain sacks tied with luxurious bows add a country-chic touch to recovered dining chairs.
• Glass — Glass jars or containers can easily be made into storage containers displaying colorful collections, and wine bottles make great light fixtures when strung together with a few lights inside. (The corks can be glued and arranged to create coaster gift sets for friends.)
• Garage items — When looking for items to repurpose, rummaging through the garage or storage unit could be worth your time. Old wooden ladders can be crafted into vintage-looking shelving units, and wood pallets can be sawed to create rustic display shelves for spices or dishes. Not sure what to do with those old suitcases? Stack them up to add height to lamps.