SOS: Too Much Furniture! 6 DIY Ideas To Upcycle Your Furniture

When you first get a house or flat, it seems you never have enough furniture to fill it up.

The kitchen table doubles as your work desk, your bed doubles as a sofa, chairs double as nightstands, and so on.

But over the years, furniture seems to accumulate out of nowhere. Instead of getting rid of old pieces and replacing them, you just buy new ones so that now you have 2 — or 3! Hand-me-downs make their way into your possession from friends and relatives. And other appliances and items take up extra space too — making your once large and expansive home into a tight and tiny space.

But this doesn’t mean you should necessarily get rid of your furniture!

Who knows — someone you know may need it down the line, or you might need it yourself after you move into a bigger home.

Fortunately, we’ve got some great DIY ideas that can help you keep your furniture while also making it more useful or less obtrusive.

A Bit of Paint

Who says you need a whole new dresser or armoire when the only thing wrong with your current pieces is the colour or finish?

In these cases, it’s just a bit of paint you need! Re-sanding and repainting furniture items is quite easy and generally takes just a few hours or an afternoon if you’re prepared. The results, however, are always outstanding.

Basement, Garage, or Outdoor Furniture

Often, furniture pieces have a lifespan: First, they grace your bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens, and when they get too old and worn, they slowly make their way to other parts of the house.

In particular, it can be a good idea to put these older pieces in places like the basement or garage — or even outdoors.

Older tables and chairs (even if not originally meant for outdoor use) can actually be of great use for barbecues in the backyard. And if you’d like to make a fun little hangout in a basement or garage, older furniture can be reused to great effect in these spaces as well!

Shelves From Old Wooden Furniture

Shelves are always necessary in a home of any size or décor style. But purchasing shelves ready-made from brick-and-mortar home stores or online can be expensive. Plus, you’re buying brand-new when you could be reusing old materials and giving them new life.

Instead of buying shelves, consider using old furniture made of wood. Old doors, table tops, or bed frames can be cut down using a simple wood saw. From there, sand, prime, and paint them to be used as closet shelves or floating shelves with a bit of character!

Sofa and Chair Covers

Sofas and chairs that have stains or rips may need professional recovering, but this can get expensive. Instead, consider purchasing sofa or chair covers that can simply be slipped over the old upholstery to hide blemishes.

If you’re up for a bigger DIY project, you can even make some simple slipcovers yourself. Often — with sofas, for example — the entire sofa does not need to be covered. You can simply whip up a few covers for the cushions with some matching fabric and your sewing machine if you’re so inclined.

Storage for Things You Can’t Get Rid Of

If you simply have too much furniture in your home but you still love it and want to keep it, store it in a nearby storage unit for use at a later time. Many families do this for items that they’d like to pass down to children or perhaps use later in life in a bigger home.

Furniture storage is a safe and secure way to store the things you care about but can’t put to use right now. If you’re unaware of how personal storage works and aren’t familiar with costs, access options, contracts, and so on, Storage Vault is here to help.

We have numerous personal storage solutions available to help you store your furniture safely and for as long as you would like.

Last Resort: Recycling Instead of Upcycling

Lastly, you don’t want to get rid of your furniture, but here’s the truth: Not everything needs upcycling. Some things simply need recycling.

So, if you have a few couches that are beyond repair, some end tables made of particle board, or a bed that does more harm than good, consider simply getting rid of these items in favour of better-made options. This doesn’t mean you’ll need to toss these items directly in the garbage. Rather, break them down and see what can be recycled.

Often, wood can be reused in other forms. Quality furniture is an absolutely necessary element in every home, but of course, we only need so much. Don’t let your home get bogged down with too much furniture by using the tips we’ve suggested above to upcycle, reuse, and store what you can’t put to use right now.

Do you have any other tips for upcycling old furniture? If so leave us a comment on our Facebook page.

If you want to talk to someone about hiring a storage unit for your old furniture, please contact us here or call us on 0141 280 8887.