Refresh Old Furniture – Upcycle It!

There are many reasons why we find ourselves disposing of our furniture. For example, when we want to remodel our home, the first thing we do is call the junk removers to dispose of the things we feel we do not want.

Our attic is full of cribs, cots, chairs, beds and worktables that the children have outgrown, or those desks, dressers and cabinets that have been left behind by the fashion trends. Every day we contemplate calling a professional company to help us get our attic back into a sane condition, but the thought of going through all that junk just seems too much.

What we do not realize is that a London junk removal company like Ben and Jerry who have been in the business for many years, will not only clear your attic in an efficient, stress free manner, they will also suggest ways of reviving your old, unwanted furniture so that it can continue working for you.

One way of giving your furniture a new lease of life is upcycling. An attic full of outgrown chairs and beds, old fashioned dressers, unwanted tables and desks is a haven for the furniture upcycler.

Upcycling is a lot of fun and it has been described as “a creative way to recycle”. The word upcycling was first used by Reiner Pilz in 1994 when he talked about the need to give more value to old products and not less.

If you have sold or otherwise disposed of your unwanted furniture, do not despair. Take time to go for garage sales, take a walk to that thrift shop at the end of the lane, or even go snooping in your grandmother’s attic and you will be sure to find some items you can make use of.

With a spirit of adventure, a fertile imagination, lots of creativity and an artistic eye you can become a successful furniture upcycler. Once you start seeing the prospects in a piece of furniture, you will recognise that there is no limit to upcycling.

There are some basic tools that you need if you decide to engage in upcycling furniture. These include:

• Paint stripper to remove paint and previously applied finish
• Sander for smoothing out the surfaces
• Sandpaper to smooth those hard to reach areas
• Stains and finishes to give that clean, fresh cared-for look
• Good quality brushes
• Cloths such as old cotton t-shirts that are lint-free and old socks for wiping and cleaning.

As a beginner, you are wondering where to start upcycling. There are lots of great upcycling ideas for the beginner who is interested in a DIY project. Surprise your friends by turning a tired table into two identical pastel coloured night stands. If all that is left of your cabinet is just the drawers, remove them and make them work as night tables.

Another fun idea to work with is turning an old door into photo frames. The door, complete with its glass panels is hung on a sizeable wall. Each glass pane has a picture attached to it, so you will end up with a wall of photos that tell a story. That bed headboard that once graced your bedroom can now be used in the TV room as a bench where you can sit and watch your favourite movie.

With two identical chars, you can make a bench that is long enough to seat at least four people comfortably. If you have children, you will love the idea of turning an old bookshelf into a colourful sand pit for the children to play with. This is a short list that is designed to get your imagination into gear because the secret of upcycling is allowing your imagination to take wings and fly.

There are a number of benefits to upcycling.

• The most obvious benefit is that you become the owner of a piece of furniture that is unique. No one else can make an item that is identical to yours.
• By recycling, which is what upcycling is, you reduce waste and in this way minimize the things that end up in the garbage heap.
• When you create something new out of something old, you experience a certain sense of satisfaction, so upcycling has a positive impact on your feeling of self-worth.
• The process is cost effective as it allows you to reuse an old piece of furniture which is cheaper than buying a new one.
• Any time you get rid of a piece of furniture, you are effectively wasting wood, a valuable resource. By upcycling, you reduce the amount of wood needed to make a new piece of furniture.
• Upcycling offers a valuable platform for a person to release their innovative and creative spirit.