Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Materials in Your Home

Do you love the shabby chic look? Then consider upcycling old building materials for your next interior decorating project. Not only is it good for the environment, it can also be easy on your wallet!

Retrofit Old Appliances
Convert old appliances into functional furniture. Turn retro refrigerators into a funky storage cabinet or have that vintage oven refurbished and retrofitted with modern wiring.

Scrap Lumber
Reuse wood destined for the scrap heap or fire pit by either remilling it to build distressed furniture pieces or, if it’s beyond salvaging, have it ground up to be used as wood chips or mulch in your garden.

Doors and Windows
Upcycle old windows and doors by using them as architectural details or converting them into interesting furniture pieces. Check out this slideshow for a few ideas to get you started.

Old Cabinetry
Give those outdated kitchen cabinets a fresh coat of paint to update your kitchen for a fraction of the cost or reuse them in your garage, basement or attic for extra storage space.

Wood Flooring
Go for a rustic look with reclaimed hardwood flooring “harvested” from old barns, factories and homes. Each individual board is sorted, de-nailed, kiln-dried, and planed after which tongue-and-grooves are added for installation ease.

Masonry and Concrete
Reuse old masonry or concrete to build garden walls and walkways or have it ground up into gravel for your driveway. Old asphalt shingles can also be ground up and used as the base for driveways or parking pads.