Rach has recently moved into a house, so there has been a lot more space to fill! My Boyfriend is currently going through the process of buying his first flat which is of course expensive and the little money he has left he has to spend on furniture etc!
We have bother been loving the process though and instead of purchasing new things we have been looking elsewhere! We have been on Gumtree, Freecycle, EBay and the odd second hand sale (shame the car boot sale season hasn’t started yet!)
Often when people think about making improvements to their home they always seems to gravitate towards getting the newest and latest of anything. However, there are plenty of ways to improve your home by doing the opposite, with items you might already have stored away in the attic or at the back of a cupboard!
Did you know that there are ways to upcycle old items for home décor? My mum loves doing this! She painted our old coffee table with chalk paint and it looks amazing! Old items you thought were outdated and useless can quickly become featured decorative items in your home.
Display Old Items
Everyone seems to have old china serving were in their house that never get used! They are tucked away and forgotten about unless your great aunt is coming over for posh afternoon tea lol! We love the old China sets and our parents have a lot of it, we will definitely be displaying it when we eventually get our own homes!
We have glass fronted cabinets, and that is where ours are kept so everyone can see them when they walk into the room. We quite often visit charity shops and always notice the amount of vases there are for sale! The older the better and the more patterned the better as well in our eyes!
Another way to use these items is if you have display shelving or cabinets with room on top to place them. What you’ll get is an excuse to break out these typically unused items and add a little flair to your kitchen or lounge.
Repurpose Old Items in New Ways
Creativity is the name of the game here. Find old items or different combinations of items that you can pair to create an interesting new space in your home. Maybe you have an old coffee table like we had you’ve been meaning to upcycle for years.
My boyfriends parents had an old trunk in there attic that they have given him! He is going to turn it into a coffee table and it’s a great storage space as well!
Brown and White Mix Better Than You Think
Most people enjoy having similar colours when decorating a room. However, recently we feel that people are more willing to experiment with their colours and decor. there is something about that vintage wooden table that goes so lovely next to white walls.
There’s nothing like the craftsmanship of old wooden furniture (it must have taken ages to build). Especially those hand-built items that have accents that are hard to find in today’s more modern furniture choices.
Upgrade to gold handles (our favourite) that will help make the natural wood grain pop out against a white background. If you don’t like it, there’s always the option to paint it white to get some use out of it.
Old Porcelain Vases
Those old porcelain vases which have been passed down from generation to generation are the perfect display for some fresh flowers. You can upcycle these items into candle holders, planters, clocks, or even make lamps out of them for those of you who are a little more creative.
Some of the old porcelain has some pretty unique designs on them, which can add a little charm to a backyard sitting area or even in the garden as some unique planters for spices and herbs.
Whatever you do with it just make sure you use it! It seems a shame to have it tucked away in the attic. If it looks a bit worse for wear, then you could always hire a porcelain restoration professional to bring it back to life!
Create Collections of Smaller Items
We have lots of lovely photo frames, vases and ornaments on display on the shelves in our living room! We decided to group them together to create an interesting display.
You could always take these items and place them on tables, bookshelves, or other furniture.
Make a Hanging Display
A great way to make use of these items is to create a display wall. You can add hangers to the back or find some classic shelves to place the items on display. You can take up a large section of an unused wall to create a display that will add character and style to whatever room you choose.
The key here is to not limit yourself to traditional design ideas. With a little experimentation and creativity, you will find that those old heirlooms can be taken from storage and upcycled into interesting pieces that will give your home something unique.
