So, furniture and home decor are expensive. Sometimes you don't have the money to entirely revamp your home, maybe you'd rather spend your money on someone else, and maybe you simply like to get crafty. Whether you need to make it work with what you have or if you love combing through antique shops and thrift stores for one-of-a-kind finds that need a little TLC, you can turn your old furnishings into some gorgeous, functional, and generally fabulous things. You just need a weekend, a little paint, your creativity, and some imagination.
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Or, honestly, a nicer TV stand. Or an entry way table. Or an entertainment center. Consoles lend themselves well to repurposing, you know.
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Seriously, a new coat of paint and some TLC can breathe new life into almost any piece of furniture.
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The great thing about this is that you can get some more use out of your old jewelry (or whatever) while prolonging the life of a table you aren't necessarily crazy about anymore. Upcycling at its finest.
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I love benches. I long for benches in far too many rooms of our new home. This is so simple, efficient, and genius.
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I can't resist. So easy! So smart! So cute! So functional! We have six old kitchen chairs taking up space in the basement!
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See? Paint. Actually, some paint, a pattern, perhaps some texture, and a new or upcycled lampshade can do wonders.
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We have so many big, clunky candelabra (candelabrae? Candelabras?) around the house, and although I love candles, I hate most of these candle holders, and I definitely love cupcakes, so I'm down with this upgrade. I'm down with it so hard.
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THIS IS SO CUTE! Someone put in so much hard work with this desk. The shine is sublime. I don't think I'd use a zebra print for the cover, but beyond that, I want to find an accent or sofa table just to copy this.
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I'm drooling over here. That dresser is doggone gorgeous.
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Full disclosure, I just found a slew of ideas for dressers. They don't all have before pictures, but they're pretty easy to imagine. This is a great way to create space for towels, sheets, spare blankets – and, as you'll see, there are plenty of things to do with any discarded drawers.
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Here's just one way old drawers can come in handy – and create extra storage space. Plus, it's sanitary. There are even wheels involved.
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Love this one – it's excellent if you have any hand-me-down furniture from your childhood room or previous houses. Great for Ikea dressers, too. It is also adorable, which never hurts.
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Well, if you're hard-pressed to find a place for them – they can be a little difficult to fit into your décor – then just frame them.
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If you keep losing the coaster war, hide those unsightly rings with a fresh coat of vivid paint.
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Some mismatched plates, some wine glasses or candlesticks, some glue, maybe some paint – voila! How pretty!
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Redo your current chairs as many times as you want, pick up a cheap set from a curbside sale, or grab an inexpensive mismatch from the thrift store – you can upcycle chairs as many times as you want without spending a lot of money or time.
Creating a nightstand from crates is a savvy way to be thrifty, create more storage space, and give yourself plenty of space for your bedside must-haves. Beautiful!
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I want one of these so badly. I want to buy an armoire just to do this.
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A simple flip can completely change the look of certain chandeliers.
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This is beyond smart – and it saves so much space, plus you could do it with so many different tables!
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The money you save by turning a bedside table into a marvelous bathroom vanity can easily justify splurging on a fabulous sink, right?
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Done with the right color palette, this is ideal for a beach-themed space.
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I mean, what gets more decadent than an armoire transformed into a potting nook? This is precious.
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This is so cute, not to mention that it's an excellent way to make something functional out of those things. They're darling, but they stack up on you mighty quick.
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Here's another fab way to deal with all those doilies. This is actually really pretty.
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What's really neat about this is that you use an adjustable stool as well as one of those oh so chic metal trays, so you can adjust the table to suit whatever chair you place it next to.
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Buffets are expensive but often necessary. This is a cheap but unique way to do the job yourself.
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This is next-level clever, plus you get extra storage. That's always a plus in the bedroom.
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I love refurbished trunks, especially when they're functional and also gorgeous. From personal experience, a trunk makes a fantastic coffee table, not just because it looks amazing but also because you really can store all the random detritus that ends up in the living room.
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So adorable, so easy to make, such amazing décor for virtually no money. Love!
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You could even paint it or paper the insides of the crates for some added pop. Old sewing drawers make lovely shelves, as well.
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I love how they even made the best of the missing drawer!
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Don't have a coat closet? You don't need no stinkin' coat closet!
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It's actually not magical at all, it takes a lot of hard work, but my, the result is just to-die. To-die!
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This is one of my favorite repurposing projects. Suitcases and old vanity cases make such gorgeous tables.
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Wow. Just … wow. Round of applause.
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An unsightly or unloved table can turn into something practical and pretty with a little love and creativity.
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Old sewing machine bases make beautiful pieces of furniture. This vanity is adorable. My dad even made Heather and I a stunning dining room table with a sewing machine base and reclaimed barn wood.
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This is clever, colorful, and totally worthy of copying.
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This is a genius way to salvage a brokedown chair. You can also place a potted plant in your bottomless seat.
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My dad has made a few of these out of those shuttered closet doors and they are both fabulous and functional. The previous owners of our new house left several old doors in the basement and the shed, too, and I'm dying to try this with some of them.
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Everybody ends up with odd pieces of flatware that don't match the set, right? Time to put them to good use!
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This is perfect for a small bathroom or a crowded space. I dare say it would look adorable in any room. Try this in your bathroom to hang your scarves, hats, and wraps.
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Well, maybe not a stairway so much as a ladder, but still, this is a pretty cool idea, especially if you don't have a lot of space.
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Everyone needs a bathtub couch. Everyone.
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It just seems really easy to turn a dresser or bureau into a sink.
So, what's your next weekend project?