Now, more than ever, we need to think about repurposing, renovating, and reinventing old pieces of furniture and homewares. The throwaway culture we are accustomed to is slowly dying and we are turning to more sustainable and eco-friendly options. It makes sense that we stop needless waste and enjoy using older pieces of furniture in our homes.
Often, older pieces of furniture were made to last with quality wooden frames and intricate details. They would have been very expensive in their day, resulting in an item that has been made with real craftmanship.
When you place an antique or upcycled piece of furniture in a room it can offer a unique look. It may have been painted, wallpapered, stencilled or just lovingly sanded and oiled. It can make a room feel lived in and offer an interesting feature in an otherwise plain room. If you decide to renovate an inherited chair or sofa, the fabric you choose might be quite modern – and this does work incredibly well with the older frames. Go bold, bright or patterned or if you prefer, then plain natural linens can also look great. Basically, have some fun with it!
You will often find the design of the more classic pieces of furniture offers unusual shapes or extra comfort due to high backs or recline of the item.
There are plenty of ways of incorporating recycled and antique furniture into a room – whether you have a modern, or period home. Be creative and add other interesting curiosities that mean something to you like an old picture, retro mirror or decorative vintage boxes. It must be personal, or you must be attracted to a particular item for it to work, in our opinion. Part of the fun is finding something that you fall in love with even in its shabby or unloved state. It is rewarding and you are doing your bit for the planet. Most importantly enjoy the challenge!!
So, if you have read my blog this far please do have a look at our online shop and find yourself a gem!