Repurposing Furniture: Home Décor Meets Green Living

Re-purposing old pieces can also involve replacing damaged parts and adding modern elements like glass shelves and “no slam” hinges. Here are some ideas for re-using existing pieces of furniture instead of buying brand new items.

•    Dining table – An old dining table, especially one with distinctive features, can be a useful and visually appealing addition to a crafting room, a homeschool room, or even a home office. Let the table’s unique or dated characteristics serve as points of interest that give the room character. Complementary items like a glass whiteboard behind an office table or framed children’s artwork on the walls around a schoolroom table can complete the look.

•    Buffet or sideboard – Vintage buffets and sideboards are excellent choices for a re-purposing project since they offer so much storage space. A long, low sideboard would make a wonderful addition to an entryway by serving as a shoe cabinet, for instance. Alternatively, buffets and sideboards can be turned into furniture-style vanities that give bathrooms a more homelike ambience while providing plenty of space for stashing towels, washcloths, and toiletry items.

•    Dresser – A beat-up dresser can become part of your shabby chic décor scheme while serving as a storage unit in virtually any room of the house. On another note, an old dresser can even be used as a tool chest in a garage or workshop, saving you the cost of an expensive metal tool cabinet.

•    China hutch – It is not hard to turn a china hutch into a classy cabinet for your office or home work-space. By fitting it with clear cabinet glass and replacing the original shelves with glass shelving, you transform the hutch into the perfect place to store items like binders, manuals, and office supplies.

•    Wardrobe – Popular in the days before bedroom closets were the norm, wooden wardrobes can be re-purposed in a variety of ways. When shelves are added to the interior, they can house books, linens, art supplies, and so forth. A wardrobe can also serve as a free-standing coat closet in your mudroom.

If your re-purposing project calls for a new mirror or glass items such as cabinet inserts or shelves, help is just a phone call away. ABC Glass and Mirror, Inc. of Manassas Park specializes in custom glass work and offers free in-home consultations, so dial 703-257-7150 today!