5 Reasons To Upcycle Old Furniture
This post may contain Affiliate Links
This is a collaborative post
Upcycling old furniture is a great way to breathe new life into old pieces and make them feel more modern, granting them a worthy place in your home. In this post, I am going to look at five reasons we should all be giving upcycling a chance.
5 Reasons To Upcycle Old Furniture
Whether you like to find old furniture at markets, thrift stores, car boot sales, or even with a bit of skip-diving, there’s nothing quite like finding a second-hand piece you love. Whether it’s your first attempt at upcycling or you’re already a pro, here are five great reasons upcycling is here to stay.
It’s Great For Saving Money
Upcycling old furniture is a great way to save money. Whether you’ve chosen a second-hand piece (which was likely much cheaper than buying new) or you’re upcycling something you already own it’s one of the thriftiest ways to furnish your home.
Of course, there are things you will need to buy such as sandpaper, paint, maybe even new door-handles, foam or material for reupholstering.
But generally speaking, these still cost less than buying new.
Plus, old furniture is often sturdier and better built than new so theoretically should last longer and stop you needing to buy again so soon. The beauty of upcycling means you can change it in the future too. Redecorating a room? Re-upcycle the furniture while you’re at it.
It’s Eco-Friendly
We all know we need to make more effort to be kinder to the environment, and upcycling is a great place to start.
Particularly when you buy or rent your first home, it can feel like everything needs to be shiny and new and Instagram perfect. However, this can have a big impact on the environment as well as your finances.
While I did buy some things new when I bought my first house, I also bought loads of second-hand pieces too. This includes a storage chest, TV unit, two bookcases, chest of drawers, dining room table and chairs and an electric fireplace, all of which are still there today, five years later.
It Can Go In Any Room
When you upcycle a piece of furniture, you can choose exactly how you want it to look. Typically, when we’re shopping for pieces of furniture for our home, we choose pieces that go with our existing decor.
When upcycling it doesn’t matter if you love something but it’s the wrong shade of brown, or the fabric is a garish colour. You can choose exactly how you want the end product to look.
For example, if you were upcycling an old chair, there are literally thousands of colours and patterns you could choose from to replace any dated fabric. From animal prints to tartan and every stripe, check and print between. See 1000’s of Upholstery Fabrics Here.
The overall shape of chairs and the legs tend to remain pretty classic so reupholstering is the perfect way to add new life. Plus, the new piece you create will be unique to you.
Don’t forget it’s okay to mix and match styles too – not everything needs to look perfectly matched!
You Can Learn a New Skill
If it’s your first attempt at upcycling, it’s a great opportunity to learn a new skill. There are literally thousands of you-tube video tutorials covering everything from the basics to completely transforming pieces of furniture.
Another option would be to attend a class on upcycling. Lots of colleges and small businesses run these across the country.
Once you’ve learned how to do it it’s a skill you can use over and over again. So while there may be a small investment in the price of the course, you should save money in the long-run.
Many people even find they enjoy upcycling so much they want to turn it into a small business or side hustle.
Help Support Charities
Buying second-hand furniture is also a great way to support charities. Some charities actually have dedicated second-hand furniture showrooms where you can browse and look out for pieces you like. Many also offer a reasonably priced delivery service so there’s no need to worry about how you’ll get the items home either.
Don’t forget beautiful second-hand pieces often get snapped up quickly, so don’t wait around if you spot something you love – it might not be there when you go back.
