Furniture repurposing is massively popular right now, as evidenced by Pinterest and the hundreds of repurposed furniture blogs available online. Though beautiful new furniture can certainly be purchased at a price, upgrading and personalizing old pieces makes for extraordinary furniture. Knowing where to start, however, can be difficult. Read on for a few pointers and ideas for repurposing furniture.

Why Repurpose Furniture?

Not only is repurposed furniture an ecologically friendly option, it’s also a budget friendly one. The average living room takes an average of $3,500 to furnish if you buy all new furniture. By purchasing repurposed furniture or making your own you can cut those costs by up to half.

Ideas for Repurposing Furniture

You have more raw materials for fantastic new furniture at your disposal than your probably realize. Antique furniture, usually considered to be 50 years of age or older, is a great place to begin, but other pieces can be used as well. These ideas for repurposing furniture use antiques as well as furniture items you might just have lying around, waiting for new life.

1. Build an oversized, vintage message board with an old mattress spring board. Clean the rust from the springs with a wire brush and treat it with a clear overcoat. Then hang it on your wall and use clothespins and clothes hangers to attach notes and items of everyday use.

2. Grab a small stepladder and paint it your desired color, then use sandpaper to weather it. Attach it to the wall to function as a display shelf.

3. Update an old dresser with a fresh coat of brightly colored chalkboard paint and new drawer pulls. Place it in a kid’s room and provide them with some chalk to help them unleash their creativity.

4. Paint an old tea tin with a coat of primer and a couple coats of chalkboard paint. Use it to hold office supplies, kitchen dry goods, or bathroom toiletries and label it accordingly with chalk.

5. Use scraps of old wallpaper samples and a little paint to dress up an old dining table. Tile the scraps on the table top and apply a fresh coat of paint to the sides and the legs.

There are plenty of ideas for repurposing furniture all over the web. If you’re ready to update a few tired pieces and give new life and style to your home, start by checking your basement, a few garage sales, Craigslist, or antique stores for old furniture that needs new life. Helpful sites.