Decoration With Recycled Vintage Furniture

Decorating with recycled vintage furniture is in vogue. People take old objects and recycle them. In this way, it is possible to turn an old waste into something useful and it can be commercialized for earning money.

What is recycling?

Recycling is taking advantage of materials that have been discarded or are in disuse to get a new piece.

Advantage:

• Extends the life of the object.
• Use of fewer raw materials.
• Decrease in the amount of waste.
• Avoid depleting the planet’s natural resources.

What is vintage?

The word comes from French, vingt (twenty) and age (years). This term was used especially to refer to objects from the 1920s. Today, this concept is linked to objects that inspire nostalgia and sensitivity.

Therefore, recycling old objects allows us to recreate this feeling in a specific piece of furniture. Here are some ideas to create objects and achieve a space (or several) decorated with recycled vintage furniture:

1. Old suitcases

If you have old suitcases you can create spectacular nightstands. Being rigid and generally made of leather, you can polish them well and place one on top of the other. Much better if they are of different sizes and colors.

Upstairs you can put a lamp and a couple of photos and you will be able to create a cozy and unique space.

2. Cabinets

The antique furniture has the characteristic of being of a very good quality. If they are made of wood, this is usually dense. Although they have gone out of style for their appearance, these pieces of furniture are unique, resistant and durable pieces. To take advantage of them, we can recycle them using different techniques.

Generally, wood is usually painted with an aged effect in colors other than the original. For example, if the wood of the furniture was brown, to give it a more modern air, you can apply a mustard, aquamarine, orange, etc.

Pastel and light colors are another very attractive option for vintage furniture. Also, light colors make furniture look more spacious and versatile.

3. Sewing machines, a classic in recycled vintage furniture

Old sewing machines have worked iron legs. You can paint them in an ocher or golden hue, or you can apply a product with a color that prevents oxidation.

Then they have a wooden part with an internal box that houses the cooking appliance. This part can be painted or varnished. And the flat top can be used to place books, photos, ornaments … In addition, on both sides they have small drawers very useful for storing things.

4. Antique chairs

You can transform a chair that you have isolated and in disuse into a small individual reading chair. Being larger than the chairs we have now, they are usually more comfortable.

If they have wooden legs, you can varnish them and upholster the rest with a plain ocher or pastel fabric. To finish, you can put a white pillow with lace.

The important thing is that, once we recycle our pieces, we incorporate them into the rest of the decoration. Likewise, it is important to use and enjoy them. There is no reason to leave them in a corner unused.

5. Photo frames

In the old days, photos were usually placed in large and very ostentatious frames. Usually these photographs were hung on the wall.

To take advantage of them and give them a new look, you can take the frame (having previously removed the photograph to avoid damaging it), sand it gently and once the dust is removed, it can be painted in the color of our preference. 

There are people who take advantage of these frames for mirrors instead of photographs, others for modern paintings or posters. It all depends on the taste of each one and the room.

6. Old trunks

Old trunks are highly prized pieces within the category of recycled vintage furniture. Why? Because they are very easy to adapt and reuse.

If we are not convinced by their current appearance, a good idea is to clean and polish them with a good wood polish to make them look like new.

Another option is to place a nice blanket over them, of some bright color, that contrasts with the color of the wood and gives it a more jovial touch.

7. Cable reels

In the past, cables were wound on large wooden spools. If you get one, you can transform it into a very nice and original garden table.

First, you need to sand it down well, as they usually have wood chips. Then you can paint it with a green base, for example. At the top you can draw flowers of various colors or whatever you want.

In the center, they have a not very big hole, there you place a plateau and cover it. Or you can put together a mini garden on a plateau and place it in the hole.

8. A door

Sometimes we change the doors of the home and we do not know what to do with the old ones. They do not need to be thrown away, many times they can be reused and turned into a bedside table, or a table for the dining room.

All you have to do is remove the metal elements, trim them as much as you want, sand and polish them. Then they are painted in some color and the pieces of our preference are added. 

The doors are solid, something that can be used to achieve a highly stable and durable piece of furniture. Remember that recycled vintage furniture allows us to explore different alternatives and techniques.

They do not have to be perfect. Often times, they need to look a little less perfect to make them look modern and fresh.