With money becoming tighter and tighter for most families, one of the latest design trends to really kick off during 2014 was upcycling. This fantastic interior design trend allowed us to get creative with our homes whilst sticking to a budget.
Creating your own individual and unique designs can range from giving a
dining room chair a new look to more complex renovations of your whole interior.
The beauty of upcycling is that you can spend as little or as much as you like on each project. Choose to use items that you already own and combine them with cheap and cheerful accessories or buy your items from charity shops. You can usually get them at a cheap price and then spend a little more on products to give them that designer look.
Upcycle products to create vintage, homely looks or create your own modern and intricate designs to match a
particular room colour of your choice. Here are just a few ideas to help get you started.
Hand Made Wooden Planters
Perfect for indoor or outdoor use, wooden planters are easy to make and can make a stunning design feature. Use these in your garden as plant pots. You could even bring them indoors for use in the kitchen as rustic fruit and veg storage boxes.
Planters and wooden boxes can easily be made from offcuts of wood. Old shelving units that are no longer needed can be sanded down and cut to create the same effect. Paint them and nail all of the pieces together, and you can create a box of any size or shape, depending on your personal preference.
Personalise Your Coffee Table
If you love looking at family pictures or capturing special events on camera, then why not print off extra copies of your photographs and personalise your table?
There are various places online that will allow you to
print off your Instagram pictures to create a selection of ready to use images. Lay these out on the table and arrange them however you want them. When you are happy with your design, use clear glue or varnish to completely stick them to your table.
When you are done, cover the table with a sheet of glass or perspex and ensure that it is safely screwed down. Et voila, you’ve got your very own personalised coffee table. This would make a great talking point when guests come round to visit!
Mosaic Table Tops And Work Surfaces
Create your own individual designs on any work surface by using a mosaic effect. You don’t need to spend much money on fancy glass or pottery to get a good design. You can make the pieces from
old plates and decorative pottery. Just make sure that you don’t use your grandma’s best china!
Updating Upholstery
Don’t throw away your old fashioned furniture. Retro furniture is highly sought after at the moment and with a little bit of updating, you can completely change the look of any piece of furniture.
You can find hundreds of amazing fabric choices online or in stores, but if you are feeling creative, you could even screenprint your own fabric designs. This would allow for completely creativity but could turn your project into a more lengthy process. Remember to think about any possible time constraints before you take something like this on.
Natural Bathroom Themes
Why not bring a touch of outdoors indoors by using natural themes in your bathroom and around your home? Shells are easily accessible to most people, even if it requires you waiting to go on a family vacation to get your hands on some for free! You could also consider
reviewyt.com's thoughts on aqua rug inclusion into your bathroom designs.
Crystals, fossils and pebbles are a great way to accessorise your home and bathroom in a natural way. Place them around your room for a boho-chic look.
Frame Your Life
Finding cheap wooden frames to paint up is one of the easiest of upcycling tasks. Something as simple as giving a plain wooden frame a cheap lick of gold paint will instantly give you a stylish place to display your photos.
Try using black and white photo’s with gold, shimmering frames for an ultra modern effect that looks great on white walls.
Stencils and Typography
Stencilling art or wording onto your walls can transform a dull area. You can buy stencils cheaply from any home hardware store, and there are plenty of options for
wall art stickers and set designs that are ready to go if time is an issue.
Sewing and Embroidery Skills
If you have fairly good sewing skills, you can transform cushions in your home with ease. Sew on some patchwork designs or embroider a monogram or the first letter of your name.
Sewing accessories such as needles and threads are cheap to buy. If you don’t own a sewing machine they can be picked up at a reasonable cost, or you could find someone who would let you borrow theirs from time to time. Keeping costs low during the upcycling process is all part of the fun!
Creative Kitchens
Get creative with your kitchens by sanding back your cupboards and adding your own designs to the doors.
You could replace old and boring door knobs with fresh and modern designs to change the appearance in a more subtle way.
Gorgeous Gardens
Upcycling doesn’t have to stop in the house. There are a variety of ways to upcycle products in your garden. You could try making a garden table out of
wooden pallets and leaving it with a rustic effect.
Painting your tables and chairs in bright colours will add a modern and unique twist on standard garden furniture.
Try creating your own bird tables outside or making hanging baskets using cheap plastic bowls with drainage holes drilled through the bottom.
The possibilities are endless, so why not get creative with your own upcycling projects and see what you can come up with to change your home?