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Decorating on a Budget: 10 Repurposing Ideas
See how to reinvent salvage finds and your own stuff into things you may actually use
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
One thing I love to do at the beginning of a new year is clean out the old and bring in the new. One way to do this without being wasteful or spending money is to make things you already have new to you. Move furniture around, give it a new paint job, or give it an entirely new function. Take a look at what these clever Houzz members have switched up, then look at your own belongings with fresh eyes.
by decordemon
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Gidget happily perches atop this clever retro dog bed (this is a miracle because she's a very picky girl with a penchant for freshly reupholstered mid-century sofas). It was a super-stylin' suitcase in a former life.
Learn how to transform your old Samsonite into a dog bed
Learn how to transform your old Samsonite into a dog bed
by Dreamy Whites
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These weathered doors have been transformed into a beautiful and architectural headboard. If you only have one door, hang it horizontally at headboard height.
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An antique sewing table is now a useful and conversation-inspiring kitchen island.
by Monica Ewing
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That drafty old window you replaced can serve as an eye-catching grid of frames. A book full of botanical plates is perfect for filling up one of these.
See another version of this idea
See another version of this idea
by French Larkspur
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We've seen wooden ladders all over the house, hanging from chains to become patinaed potracks and transformed into towel racks when propped against a wall. Old paint splatters add to their appeal.
Also repurposed in this room: A burlap bag from France has become seat upholstery on the armchair.
Also repurposed in this room: A burlap bag from France has become seat upholstery on the armchair.
by Thomas Wold
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Thomas Wold has some sort of higher calling when it comes to repurposing; his work is some of the most clever, cool, original and functional I've seen to date. This secretary desk is an assemblage of discarded shelves, boxes and cabinets.
See more of Thomas Wold's work
See more of Thomas Wold's work
| This is one of my all-time favorite repurposing projects. Those fabulous rusty and crusty oversized pendant lights were propane tanks in a former life. |
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Vintage tools become interesting folk-art pieces when displayed in new ways.
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A former ski lift cable has a new life as a clever railing in Colorado. It's fun to recognize a familiar object like this in an unexpected place.
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Don't tell Gidget, but someone else has swiped a potential vintage suitcase dog bed and transformed it into a quirky bedside table.
More:
Inspiring Materials: Reclaimed Wood
Budget-Friendly Home Makeover Ideas
Storage With Character: Vintage Crate Shelves
More:
Inspiring Materials: Reclaimed Wood
Budget-Friendly Home Makeover Ideas
Storage With Character: Vintage Crate Shelves
Ideabook updated on Dec. 26, 2011.
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- Old window from a $3 door from the thrift door made into a photo frame and another suitcase on a old luggage stand (also from the thrift store)
- Construction pic of the bed my dad helped me make out of salvaged solid-panel doors. Sorry I don't have any good pics of the final product but we ended up painting it black.