Guest Blogger: The Re-purposing Trend in Furniture Decor

Guest Blogger #898, Entry #2106, March 14, 2013

Capturing the Quality: The Re-purposing Trend in Decorating

One of the biggest movements in decorating over the past several years, the re-purposing phenomenon- may have started out as a trend, but is finally making its mark as a bona-fide staple of decorating. It started out as a way to transform common unwanted items into quirky novelties-a scratched up vinyl record softened in the oven and sculpted into a bowl, for instance- and it sparked a big effort to keep lots of stuff out of landfills as we began to put ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’ into practice more and more often.

A quick internet search turns up hundreds of suggestions for do-it-yourselfers on re-purposing, with projects that range from small and simple (turn a colander into a hanging plant holder) to more labor intensive (transform a church pew into a headboard). There are now plenty of retailers who offer a vast array of handcrafted re-purposed items, too. Either way, ‘new-old’ items are all over the place. As the concept matures, the focus is now less on novelty, but more on high quality craftsmanship and enduring style. The highest quality items, the aforementioned church pew, for example, are the best subjects for re-purposing. But sometimes only new will do.

Repurposed sink vanity

Image via: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.

How do you decide what to re-purpose? 

A good rule of thumb is to never sacrifice quality for style, because it is almost always possible to have both. Sometimes the lure of the re-purposed item is more about the wow factor, that ‘what a cool idea!’ feeling, than it is about how the item will actually work in your decor. Turning an  old dresser into shelving by removing the drawer fronts could work, but will it look as good or last as long as the artisan crafted high quality bookshelves found here?

Probably not. And it’s just a bonus that the highest quality items made of the finest materials are the ones that will end up being the best suited for re-purposing later on.

So when to buy new and when to re-purpose?  Here are three steps to help lead you to the right decision.

 1. Think it through.

Don’t change an unwanted item into a DIFFERENT unwanted item. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of what the item will morph into without considering if you’ll really want it in your home. Just because you CAN turn an old table into a ring-toss game doesn’t necessarily mean you should.

Repurposed furniture trends

Image via: Adrienne DeRosa

2. Take into account your budget.

Consider your budget, but don’t sacrifice quality. Often a re-purposed item will be a bargain, but not always. And if you’re doing it yourself, remember to factor in the cost of supplies and the time spent on the project.

3. Get feedback

Get a second opinion. When it comes to decorating, it’s always a good idea to get feedback from someone whose taste you admire. Try to find a picture of a re-purposed item that is similar to the one you are considering, but don’t mention it is re-purposed, that way you’ll be getting a true reaction to the way it looks, not just to the item’s history.

In the end it’s really about style, and style endures. It may change form, but high quality will  always stand the test of time.

For more furniture ideas on Stagetecture, click here.