Skip The Purchase Pain, Repurpose Your Way To New And Green

As the world gradually gets back on track, you’ve probably noticed that pent-up demand is causing price surges pretty much across all categories of consumer goods. And shipping? Jeesh. Shipping is a mess. Clearly, a demand capacity threshold has been reached—and wildly exceeded. 

Even if you do find something you love in your price range, actually getting it in a reasonable time frame can be next to impossible. Sadly, this has been true for new upholstered furniture for some time now. Manufacturers are reporting the time from order to arrival is stretching to 4-6 months or more. Which is, ya know, not ideal.

But there’s good news.

There are so many reasons to go green these days. There’s climate change itself, certainly. That’s reason enough. But there are plenty of other pragmatic reasons that have little to do with the warming of the planet or the love of the environment. Reasons like getting around all those shipping and cost hassles and having the home you’d love more quickly (and cheaply).

But what are your options?

  • There’s Door #1: Order, cross your fingers, and then wait. (Oi.)
  • Or, Door #2: Don’t order and live with what you have—or don’t have—in whatever condition it may be in. (Again, not ideal.)
  • And then there’s Door #3: Don’t re-purchase at all. Just repurpose it. Now. (Yes, please.)

How To Repurpose Your Way To The Home and Life You Want Now

Let’s look at what re-purposing can look like in your home or business. First, what it isn’t. Re-purposing isn’t you going to school in your older sibling’s hand-me-down (and out-of-style) clothes to save a buck. As a matter of fact, the interior design crowd has also taken to referring to recycling or repurposing household items as “upcycling.” 

What’s upcycling? Basically, you build on the bones of what the piece was and turn it into something new — something even better. Maybe you decide to keep the best parts of a piece of furniture you love and use them as the foundation for reinventing that furniture and that space into something you’ll love even more.

What’s more, many, if not most, upcycle or repurpose projects are totally achievable as DIY projects. So, even less waiting.

We’ve collected some ideas from clever DIYers around the web to get you inspired and playing. 

Bedroom

We’ll kick this off by thinking way outside the box—or rather, outside the drawers. This one solves two problems:

  1. Get rid of an old dresser that’s just not your speed or decor anymore.
  2. Add seating AND storage that’s both functional and a fun conversation starter.

Upcycle your old dresser with this handy guide to transform it into a chair and ottoman. Take it up another level by throwing the ottoman up on legs and putting it in your master closet or at the end of your bed for seating or for that inevitable “shelf” clothes like to land on at the end of the day.

Make it uniquely you with fabric that brings just the right pattern and pop to delight and surprise you every time you see your “new” furniture. 

Bathroom

What about that bathroom renovation you’ve been dreaming about? All that quality time with everyone at home has decidedly demonstrated the need for some bathroom refresh love. 

No need to put it off. Check out this DIY bathroom vanity. Turn an old dresser—whether the one you already have or a thrift store or garage sale find—into a stellar one-of-a-kind bathroom vanity. Who knows, you might even decide to stick with it after supplies are readily available again. 

There’s no upholstery on this one, but we’re psyched for you to take your ever-growing confidence in your own sense of style and design and apply it to painting flourishes on your new vanity to get it feeling like it truly reflects you. (See what we did there?)

Entryway

What about that hand-me-down loveseat from Grandma? Not only is it clearly past its prime, but it’s also wildly out of style. Keep the memory, lose the eyesore.

Turn it into an entryway bench and elevate that entryway vibe. No more cluttered mishmash and instantly more functional as a quick spot to get shoes and coats on and off without doing the bounce-on one-foot dance. Top it off with a Crypton fabric for stain protection and style—we’ve got you covered with 1,000+ options.

Family room

Maybe you managed to get that new sofa, or you reupholstered your old one to make it like new, but now your feet are just longing for a place to be propped up while you’re munching on popcorn and binging Ted Lasso or your favorite fall movie. 

No need to wait for inventory to come back in stock. You’re just a few wooden crates and some imagination away from a tufted storage ottoman that fits your newly re-imagined space perfectly (thanks to Monica at “Mom Makes Things”) with storage to boot—or for boots, for that matter.

Got a small space? Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you out. Try this small storage ottoman how-to. Turn a shelf that would be trash into storage treasure. Here’s to happy feet and many hours of movies and reading.

A Few Last Tips For Your Repurpose Refresh Dreams

Okay, be honest. Repurposing is fun, right? And whether you’re upcycling, repurposing, or reusing, with a little bit of MacGyvering magic, the sky’s the limit. All that’s really needed to begin is your imagination and a little creative playtime. Not only will you go green and help support sustainability and keep a few more things out of landfills, but you’ll also get to skip the supply chain line and live your life now. 

And, of course, we’ve gone over the myriad of options before about how you can upgrade your furniture with reupholstery, slipcovers, and tufting. So you’ve got those in your back pocket whenever you need them. And you know we’re always here for you, and we love helping you find exactly the right fabric to fulfill your furniture dreams.

We hope this holiday season, once again, finds you hosting many happy “forever memories.” It’s not too late to transform your home into a functional, fun, and stylish space you’ll be proud to look at in photos years from now. 

Whatever you’re working on, KOVI’s got you covered. Until next time, happy repurposing! 

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