20 Prime Examples of Upcycled Furniture

It seems like more and more, people take something they don’t want anymore, whether it is old, or it has a few dents or dings in it, and toss it in the dump. Many people feel this is a wasteful way to live when many old, imperfect or slightly used items can be re-purposed and upscaled to create a new and unique piece of furniture for your home. We all know how expensive furniture is, and it’s not always easy to find the perfect piece you envision anyways, so why not create some pieces that you’ll love, especially because they were made by you and didn’t bust your budget. You can get tips on how to take basic things from around your home and re-purpose them to give them a whole new look and purpose and here are a few to help inspire you for your next furniture upscaling venture.

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Think outside the box

Upscaling furniture can mean more than just refurbishing an old piece of furniture to look newer. It can also mean taking an odd item and creating a new purpose for it, for instance, do you have an old door that doesn’t work for your home anymore? Maybe you found a neat looking door someone was getting rid of, or your grandfather was tearing down an old barn and getting rid of the old barn doors. Doors can be used for a number of furniture pieces, such as table tops, benches, even headboards. Doors are easy to sand and stain, and you can create beautiful, original pieces of furniture with them. Doors are only one thing that you can get creative with. Think outside the box when you look at items and try to envision it as a piece of furniture; perhaps an large old barrel transformed into a small sofa or chair, a large suitcase made into a cushy seat, or wood pallets transformed into a set of tables or shelving unit>

Give an old vintage piece a new purpose

It’s fun looking at old antique pieces of furniture that our grandparents and great-grandparents might have used back in the day. Over time, some of these pieces can no longer serve the original purpose or you simply don’t need it for its original purpose, for example, maybe your grandmother’s old keepsake chest. If want to keep a vintage piece in the family, upscale it and give it another purpose that works for you. That old chest can be reinvented into a a unique, antique-looking washstand in a secondary bathroom, or a night stand next to your bed. If you can envision it, you can create it.

Upscale furniture pieces for creating storage and space

Not all space is created equal which means you sometimes have to be creative in how you use the pieces you have or purchase. Some pieces of furniture may have originally been created with one purpose in mind, but it doesn’t mean you can’t use it for another. When space is limited, try upscaling a piece of furniture you already own into another functional piece. That secretary that sits in the office and doesn’t really get used for much may better serve as a linen closet and storage space in a bathroom where there is little storage. Or a pair of outdoor planters could be transformed into a beautiful set of side tables for your sofa. A small hope chest that’s collecting dust in the attic can be cleaned up and refurbished to use as a coffee table and storage space in a small living room.

No matter what your needs, you can create, recreate, and upscale pieces of furniture from old and odd objects to make a whole new piece that better fits your needs, or just gives your room a unique look to match your unique style and taste. So the next time you think about throwing something out, look at it again and see if you can’t let your imagination find a new reason to keep it around, just by simply reinventing it.

For more inspiring ideas, take a look at the following 20 prime examples of upscaled furniture.