One of our favourite and most environmentally-friendly decor trends is upcycling. It's basically the practice of altering furniture and decor items to give them a new look and extend their life and use in your home. If you like the sound of that and want to give it a try, here are 5 upcycling tips to help you get started.
Upholstering
You can breathe new life into chairs and couches by reupholstering them. You can buy new fabric to get the exact look you're dreaming of, or repurpose a blanket, sheet or curtain if you'd like to save money.
Think outside the box
Things you have on hand could be used in different ways. If you have an old trunk or old wooden crates, for example, they could be transformed into a coffee table. Keep your eyes and mind open for inspiration.
Give distressed a try
If you love that refreshed but aged antique furniture look, it's called distressed and it's easier than you'd think to achieve with old furniture. You'll need to start with a wooden furniture piece like a dresser or table. Sand it down if you're going to paint it, or use chalk paint if you don't want to. Paint it the colours of your choice then sand it again to make it appear weathered. It's just that easy, folks!
When in doubt, paint it
If you're not into distressed upcycling, just plain painting a worn out piece of furniture can give it a new lease on life. Be sure to sand it well before painting but not after.
Try a stencil
If you're a fan of more intricate looks, give stencils a try. You can use them to make your furniture look more fun and unique.
We hope these decor tips from BentallGreenOak help you give your old furniture a second life.
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