What’s a home without furniture? Why, it’s merely a bare and empty house, not at all fit for living in. Furniture, whether it is in the kitchen, the bedroom, the patio or the study, is vital for the aesthetics and functionality of your living space.
The latest trend for furniture is upcycling. Read on to find out more about upcycling, and discover 5 of our favourite things to upcycle into furniture.
Why is upcycling so popular now?
For thousands of years, men and women treasured their furniture. Money was scarce for most people, and in a pre-industrial society, something as basic as a chair or a table could represent a sizable investment for the household. Over the course of the 20th century, improving technology and blossoming consumerist culture changed all of that. As furniture became less expensive, it became less valued. Cheap, ticky tacky pieces were built, bought, and used, only to be thrown away a short time later.
Now, we see quite a different trend emerging. The contemporary generation is focused on sustainability and ecological responsibility. Gone is the indefatigable consumption of yesteryear and, in its place, we see the discarded detritus of yesteryear reimagined as upcycled furniture.
Milk Crates
Not so long ago, the only people who sat on milk crates were milkmen and milkwomen, resting their tired legs in between their arduous schedule of milk deliveries. Today, however, you’ll find milk crates upcycled as seats at some of the fanciest cafes in the world.
Pallets
During their first life, pallets are used for the transport of cargo. Pallets carry around all sorts of things, like fruits, vegetables, hats, watches, books, computers, tablecloths, and occasionally even other pallets.
Today, secondhand pallets can be upcycled into all sorts of impressive things — including furniture for homes and venues. What’s that the hipster comedian is standing on while he tells his jokes? It’s a pallet, of course! You could even screw some little wheels onto the base of the pallets and turn them into lovely little patio tables.
Ladders
Adhere some planks of wood between the rungs of two ladders standing parallel with one another and, hey presto, you’ve just upcycled yourself a bookcase. Now, your ladders can help you to climb in a different way; they used to help you scale verticle space, but now they can assist you as you make your ascent and climb the summit of knowledge.
Wooden crates
Have you got dozens of wooden crates lying around the place? And do you have absolutely no use for them, but are you hesitant to throw them out because they spark joy? Well, there is a solution.
Just turn your crates on their side, adhere them together, and you’ve just built yourself an upcycled shelving system. It’s the perfect place to store shoes, knickknacks, trophies, and so on and so forth.
Old books
Remember that season of Seinfeld where Kramer is trying to sell his coffee table book of coffee tables? Have lots of old books hanging around the place and don’t know what to do with them? Combine that beloved memory of a 90s sitcom with your book-surplus conundrum, and you’ve got yourself an inventive solution. By gluing and binding your books together, you can build a beautiful new coffee table out of books! There’s no need for coffee table books when your coffee table is, quite literally, books!
