Dumpster Decorating: Furnishing Your Home With Repurposed Pieces
I must confess that Castle is one of my favorite TV shows. Great writing, well-conceived stories, hunky star — everything a girl could want. Mikey loves it, too (at least the great writing and story part). Anyway, a recent episode opened with Castle visiting the new apartment of his daughter, Alexis. Although the glimpses of her decor were fleeting, they were enough to tantalize me. Sort of bohemian chic, if I had to put a name on it. Alexis and her boyfriend bragged that they found their dining chairs next to a Dumpster and that they fashioned the table from an old door. I was enchanted, but not so Castle. "Dumpster chairs," he groused. "Just what I want to dine on."
A multimillionaire, Castle has spared no expense on his own New York City loft. As much as I love it, I can relate to Alexis' interiors better. Her willingness — born of necessity — to use recycled, repurposed and found objects dovetails beautifully with my own philosophy of interior design. It's not about the amount of money we spend, it's about the story, the family history, and the welcome and comfort our homes exude. With that in mind, take a look at some creative ways to achieve a personal and memorable look in your home, while sparing landfills and saving yourself some serious money.
Coffee tables are a great way to stick your toes in the water when it comes to repurposing. This particular table is fashioned from recycled barn wood, and its worn and distressed look is an instant invitation to put your feet up.
If barns are scarce in your neighborhood, you can create the same look from old flooring or pine lumber — or, if you're really lucky, a piece you find at your local Goodwill.
My brother is in the midst of restoring a 1947 California cottage. As he is the lawyer in the family and I am the interior designer, three guesses who's ending up with the wonderful — if somewhat ratty — old windows and doors. As I ponder where and how to use these pieces in my tiny bungalow, I am inspired by this coffee table. What a wonderful way to use such treasures. Keeping the doorknob as part of the design adds a terrific touch of whimsy.
Old windows also repurpose into an inventive room or office divider. These reclaimed windows provide separation between the living and dining areas while admitting light and views. They make a big statement without taking up much square footage.
Bathroom vanities are another place to use pieces that are handed down through your family or that you find one glorious morning at a yard sale. Almost any dresser or buffet will work — just make sure it has enough depth to accommodate your sink or sinks, and be prepared to lose functioning drawers below the sinks where the plumbing will be.
How creative is this? Part of an old water cistern has been repurposed into a media room bar. Very, very cool.
Did you know that 1,000 years ago cats were worshiped as gods? They have never forgotten this. Which is probably why these felines look so smug in the four-poster beds created from 1980s-style oak end tables. If you have a cat with entitlement issues, find the dated table lurking in your garage or attic, paint it black, and add a cushy pillow. Just don't expect your cat to be appreciative.
How many of us were stuck with oversize media armoires that became immediately obsolete with the advent of the flat-panel TV? You cannot give these away on Craigslist.
This one has been repurposed into a china hutch. It adds scale and interest to the dining room while functioning quite happily in its new role. This is a vast improvement on sending the piece off to molder in a landfill.
What an ingenious use of broken chairs and an old bench! Whether you place it in your garden or your mudroom, this recycled bench is guaranteed to elicit smiles and kudos. It makes me want to sit and wiggle with glee.
This conversion of nightstands to a console table is absolutely inspired. I see these at secondhand stores all the time, for practically nothing — but what a creative statement they make repurposed in this way. And don't limit yourself to this style: Almost any pair of tables that will snuggle up against each other will work.
By the way, isn't this a personal and inviting room? The bright pink dress hanging on the artwork is a unexpected, eye-catching touch.
Repurposing applies to more than just furniture. Think accessories like this old scale used as a towel holder. It could also function in the kitchen to hold onions or avocados, or in the nursery to hold diapers.
I am entranced by this use of old bottles dug up while the land for this house was being excavated. By cutting off the bottoms of the bottles and adding wiring and bulbs, a chandelier has been created that will forever tell the story of the building of this home — and look sensational doing it.
Note the use of a built-in bench on one side of the dining table. It looks inviting and comfy and allows for more seating on that side than chairs would.
And then there's industrial salvage. I have no idea what this piece originally was, but its color, scale, weight and weathered texture make it the star of this entry hall. It's sculptural and mysterious and makes me curious. Did it come from an old, dusty Victorian factory? Or was it a set piece in a post-apocalyptic movie? This is a great example of opening your mind and your home to new/old possibilities.
Mike and I happened across a table full of lamps like this one at a local collectibles warehouse. They had been fashioned by Justin Michael Downes from all kinds of surprising antique tools and appliances. Heaters, blow torches — even a drill press was given new life by this imaginative repurposing.
Don't feel like you have to be into industrial style to use them. They would add a tactile and arresting element to almost any room. I'm tempted to find a bigger desk so I can use one!
More: Budget Decorator: 8 Ways to Make Old Furniture Look Brand New
