Upcycled furniture is a great way to repurpose old furniture, reduce waste, and flex your creative muscles.
We spoke to our team of expert housekeepers and they had a tonne of great ideas on how to upcycle furniture, so let’s dive right in!
Getting Started with Upcycled Furniture
Upcycled furniture can really be as simple or as complex as you like. There are a tonne of upcycled furniture ideas for every skill level, so you’ve definitely got a lot of options.
You can start with the furniture you have around the house, or look in yard sales or online for cheap furniture to give a second life.
Tools and Materials You Need
The tools and materials you need really depend on the projects you have in mind. But regardless, some good products to keep handy include:
- A screwdriver and screws
- Hammer and nails
- Sandpaper or an electric sander
- Paint stripper and your choice of paints
- Wood sealant or varnish
- Measuring tapes and rulers
- Wood glue
How to Choose the Right Furniture for Upcycling
The whole purpose of upcycled furniture is to breathe a second life into old or damaged items, so it’s good to start with what you have on hand or lying around the house.
However, you should also look for furniture that has a solid and sturdy frame – or can at least be stabilised relatively easily.
Keep an eye out for high-quality, durable materials, unique designs, versatile shapes, and items that have readily available replacement parts. All of these make a piece of furniture a great option for upcycling!
Preparing Your Furniture for Upcycling
Before you start any upcycling project, it’s important to start with a clean base. Make sure to clean the furniture thoroughly, including any fabric or upholstery.
Tighten any loose or wobbly screws and joints, and fill in any chips or wood damage with filler. Make sure you sand any rough surfaces so you have a smooth base, and you should be ready to begin!
Creative Techniques for Upcycling Furniture
When it comes to upcycling, you’re limited only by your imagination!
Think about the size and shape of an object, and if you can give it a totally unique and different function. You can flip it, cut it up, add new pieces of wood, upholstery, paint, and add hardware to really reinvigorate and reinvent a piece.
Upcycled Furniture Ideas to Inspire Your Next Project
To help get you started on your next upcycled furniture project, here are some creative and relatively simple ideas!
Vintage Suitcase into a Unique Side Table
If you have an old vintage-style suitcase or find one at a thrift store, it can easily be turned into a cute and interesting side table!
Depending on the shape, you could have the suitcase standing alone as a side table, or add some legs to elevate it to a height that suits your space. Or if you’re feeling really funky, stack suitcases for a layered effect – which is also a savvy storage solution!
Old Dresser Turned into a Kitchen Island
This is a great example of giving old furniture a completely new purpose. An old dresser that’s still in good condition can be brought to the kitchen for a DIY kitchen island.
Not only is this super convenient for your kitchen space, but it’s also super practical. You could remove a few drawers from your dresser for open-shelving add a new worktop, and really customise it to your kitchen’s needs.
Ladder Shelf for Rustic Bathroom Storage
Here’s a fool-proof upcycling idea that is perfect for your bathroom storage – turn a wooden ladder into a chic bathroom stand! All you really need to do is find a chic wooden ladder, make sure it’s sanded and varnished so it looks sleek, and prop it up as a rack in your bathroom.
You can paint it to match your colour scheme and use it as either a rack or a shelf depending on how wide the rungs are.
Reimagined Coffee Table with Mosaic Tiles
Want a customised, mosaic coffee table? It’s easier than you think!
You can completely customise your mosaic to your own colours and tastes, which makes it such a fun and unique piece of furniture. You’ll only need a few tools, like adhesive, tiles, grout, and a sealant – so don’t be intimidated.
Wooden Pallets into an Outdoor Sofa
Wooden pallets are extremely versatile when it comes to upcycling, and one great option is to turn them into an outdoor sofa.
Simply drill or hammer the pallets into your desired shape and height, and add some cushions and throws!
Refurbished File Cabinets as a Desk Base
File cabinets are nice and sturdy, which makes them the perfect desk base. All you need is two sets of file cabinets to form each side of the desk, and a strong wooden surface to attach on top.
The best part is you can totally customise the length of the desk, paint the cabinets, and attach new hardware to bring your own flair to the desk.
So now you see, upcycled furniture is so much easier than you think!
And if you need a helping hand keeping your lovely new home set up clean and in good condition, you can always call one of Wecasa’s domestic cleaners for professional results.
