Upcycling is a new craze which enables you to take an old item in a state of disrepair. Change these in various ways so that they look chic and modern. Another way to upcycle is to repurpose an old item, for example putting an old bath into the ground and utilising it as a garden pond.
Upcycling can be as low or high end as your budget allows. Simply repainting some old cabinets from a car boot sale can be enough.
Bedrooms are a great place to start. They are only really used at night so offer a nice blank canvas that you can show off, or you can hide if you make a mistake.
Beds are fun things to change up. Those with
memory foam mattresses offer a comfy starting point. Beds offer a great deal of customization. A simple bed frame can be sanded down and a shabby chic effect added to the wood using only two different colours of paint. A metal frame can be sanded down and painted with metallic spray to add a chrome effect or even something more daring, the choice is yours. Remember to add lights and storage to your new bed and you can really change an ugly duckling into a swan.
Cushions can be recovered, there is no need to remove the old ones. Buy new material cheaply from a discount store and add a splash of colour to your tired soft furnishings. There are many guides online on how to get the desired effect.
Repurpose
some old lockers into fashionable storage for your toiletries. Sand the doors down, remove the locks, use a spray primer and finish with a coat of matte white paint for an amazing effect for next to nothing. You will also increase your storage space tenfold and remove clutter from your eyesight.
Go to as many flea markets and car boot sales as you can. Remember even if the item before you is no use in its current form you can probably recycle it into something special. Providing it has the potential to fit with your plans.
Another great source of items to upcycle are department stores, they will often get rid of old display stands. If you build up a good rapport with the store manager you can often pick up these items for free/next to nothing. Often it is easier for the store to pass these items on to you than it is recycle them themselves. An old revolving jewellery carousel for example will look perfect on your dresser displaying all your earrings and make choosing an outfit a breeze. A simple lick of paint and some simple tools will most likely be all you will need to this job.
One more simple upcycling trick that you can try is by using the furniture in your home. An old chest of drawers can become like new by just
removing the knobs on the drawers and replacing them with something a bit more modern or upmarket. This is an easy modification that takes moments and costs next to nothing to do.