If you have plenty of old furniture lying around or need to have a clear out, think carefully before throwing it in the trash. There are plenty of ways to reuse or refresh your old furniture and help to reduce your impact on the planet. From saving it for a rainy day, to repainting and reusing, here are 4 ways to give your old furniture a new life.
Save it for the future
Whilst it is not wise to keep everything you own, certain furniture pieces may have sentimental value, high cost or are not damaged but you just do not have room for them in your home. This is where storage units come in. There are plenty available and you can use www.storagearea.com to help find storage units near you. There you can safely and securely keep your large furniture items, in order to preserve them for whoever uses them in the future, whether that is you or your kids, family or loved ones, or if it is just a DIY project you are planning to put off for a while!
Donate
Donating your unwanted furniture items is always a great idea, as it can help to make sure they go to a good home and someone new gets more use out of them. Whether you donate them to a thrift store or give them to a friend, make sure they are in good condition and usable. Call ahead to make sure that the place you are planning on donating to is actually taking donations, and that they also take furniture, otherwise you could make a wasted journey or give the thrift store something they cannot sell. Furthermore, if you are on the lookout for new furniture, why not check out your local thrift store to see if anyone has donated anything that would work perfectly for you.
Reuse
If something is damaged or broken, is there any way it can be safely used as something else? Not only will this reduce the amount of waste produced, it can also help save costs on having to buy something new. There are numerous books, videos and tutorials on upcycling, from beginners to advanced DIYers. All it takes is the right tools and a little imagination to turn your old furniture into something new. For example, old shutters can be turned into cabinet doors, or old curtains into clothes! Reusing materials you already have can help to reduce the amount of waste you contribute to the planet, and can also give you a fun DIY project to try on the side.
Refresh
Similarly to reusing your furniture, consider if you really need to get rid of an item all together. Does it actually just need some TLC or a fresh coat of paint? It can be more cost effective, as well as more environmentally friendly, to repair or rejuvenate old furniture, instead of buying new ones. There are plenty of products and services that will help you refresh materials such as wood or fabric, so before you take a trip to the trash, ask yourself if it is really necessary.