Repurposing, with purpose.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, of the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) the second is my favourite. I’m all for reducing consumption, and do this as much as I can, but reuse it just way more fun! (Don’t get me started on that third r - the one everyone took and ran with, but is actually riddled with pitfalls.)
So lets focus on the fun one, specifically how it can add personality to your home, and bring old objects to life. The trick to repurposing comes down to something children have plenty of, but adults can struggle with. Do you know what I’m talking about? Yup, you guessed it, imagination. You need to be able to look at an item in your home with fresh eyes and be able to see something completly new. People who are naturally creative have an advantage here but it’s all about thinking outside the square, or scouring the net for inspo, like this blog ;)
Having a background in customising furniture I’m obviously pretty well accustomed to taking something old and giving it a new lease on life. People come to me because they don’t have the time, skills or materials needed, but also because they often can’t picture the after. Whereas I can look at an old dated piece of furniture and imagine how it would look in 20 different ways! So it’s pretty obvious my home would be full of transformed pieces of furniture, but it’s also got a fairly extensive range of bits and bobs that used to be one thing and are now being used as another. Here are just a few examples scattered throughout my home…
This was an old vent cover that came out of a factory, I gave it a rough sand and now it’s art on my wall!
This pink mottled glass was one of the light fittings that came down when we renovated the girls bedrooms, now its a beautiful pot for a plant.
A friend gave me these vintage milk bottles, I love getting fresh flowers (like these ones my girls picked for me) and using them as a group of vases.
Timber offcuts from our benchtop were turned into floating shelving/spice rack.
repurposed by you
After sharing my latest repurpose (the pink light shade above) I put a call out on my socials asking for people to share things in their own homes that they’ve found new and amazing uses for. I want to get others excited about things they might already own by sharing your successes. And boy have you guys come through! The creativity shown really blew me away, I hope you find these gems as inspirational and motivational as I have.
If I had to pick my absolute favourite it would have to be this one from Home Squared in Christchurch - you seriously need to check out her insta, it’s chocca with interiors inspo - like this gem - and some fab DIY projects.
This has to be the easiest repuropse of all time, no work required, just take a old room divider and pop it behind your bed. Viola, stunning new bedroom feature. The great thing is you can keep an eye out for dividers in op shops, they come in a range of styles, and wait until you find one you like. This has a very boho vibe, but you could find a japanese style paper one, a slatted screen to paint or leave natural, old timber ones to shabby up for the rustic look - the options are endless!
Leigh (Home Squared) also shared how she took this chipped, unloved old salad bowl she found at a secondhand shop and turned it into this modern boho hanging plant holder. Such a funky yet simple transformation that anyone could do!
Before
After
So simple it’s child play
Got an old bedside table or dresser you were going to donate to the secondhand shop? Before you ditch it think about the potential it has to become something else rather than just clothes storage. My friend Rach sent me this mud kitchen she made for her little guy out of an old side table they had kicking around. With a few simple adjustments and alterations it’s now the perfect little stove for him to play pretend at. Bonus, you can grab most of what you need from the op shops making it a really affordable project that your kids will adore for years - both of my girls still use their play kitchen nearly daily!
Another great item just begging for a new life is that old change table, like this one sent in by Julia of Sentinel Homes Taranaki. Jump on Pinterest and you’ll find so many fab ideas for this item in your home that only gets used for a few years then passed on. They make great entry tables, storage for kids toys and books (like Julia has done with costumes below) a craft station filled with art supplies, or even an adults drinks trolley. The options are endless!
Old well loved, well worn books needent be completly discarded. Turning a beloved book into art is as simple and finding a frame, like the one Tracy sent in below. Whether it brings back childhood memories, or struck a chord with you later in life, walking past something meaningful to you in your home not only adds personality but will be a daily reminder of the joy it brought to you.
Simply framed it can look beautiful but if you have an old book (or find one at the secondhand shop) you can use the paper to run through the printer when you’ve highlighted a quote to emphasize like the one below. Other ideas are to draw an image (if you’re more talented with pen and ink than I am!), cutting out an image to layer over it or even dried flowers.
This blog could go on forever filled with ways to reuse one item as something else. Turn that scarf you no longer wear into a fun cushion cover, I have a plan to use old skirting board from the girls rooms to make coat racks. You can paint glass bottles and hello new vase, there’s a whole section of the internet dedicated to stuff you can create out of old pallets! Find your local building recycler and go check out some of the gems they have, we’re lucky to have Revive Building Recyclers and The Junction Zero Waste Hub in New Plymouth, both of whom are chocca with treasures. All you need is a fresh pair of eyes looking at old unloved items. By no means am I suggesting you start hoarding everything you’ve been thinking of getting rid of, I myself just took another load to St. John yesterday, but perhaps you could take a second glance before you discard something. Maybe it has more life left in it than you first thought…