I have been waiting to write this post for SO LONG, but basically I held off until we had more rooms finished in our cabin to use as examples! When I moved from my old loft into the bungalow, I didn’t have a ton of furniture. Plus, it was all way too big for the new house. So I didn’t learn a ton about how to repurpose my furniture and decor in a new home. But now that we’ve moved to a larger home with pieces we love, I’ve learned sooo much! Not only has this experience shifting my thinking in how I select future furniture and decor, but I’ve also realized how important flexibility is. Here’s a bit more about my experience + some tips to help you!
This white cabinet (a piece from Pottery Barn that is unfortunately no longer being made) is my favorite bathroom storage fixture. It’s got good bones, is made of sturdy metal, and has fit in pretty much every bathroom I’ve had!
Tips to Inspire You to Repurpose Furniture & Decor in a New Home
I believe in decorating in a style that’s complementary to the architecture of the home. Because our cabin is such a blank slate, I’ve leaned into color more than in our old bungalow. While DIYing to customize existing pieces is the ultimate way to repurpose furniture, I wanted to also inspire you to rethink how you decorate your new home without having to pick up a screwdriver or paintbrush. Here are a few tips:
Create a floor plan
Every time I share Homestyler, I feel like a broken record. I know I share it as a resource a LOT, but it is so good. Basically, you can use this free app to make a floor plan of your entire house (which I’ve done). This allows you to then map out where furniture will go. Imagine how much easier that makes moving into a new home!
This vintage trunk has lived in a few places, but my current favorite is at the foot of our bed for storage. I keep extra shoes in it, plus my work clothes for when we’re renovating.
Don’t be afraid to move things around until it feels right
Sometimes pieces don’t feel right in the same type of space as in the old house — and that’s ok! For example, the trunk we used as a coffee table and side table in the bungalow feels diminutive in the wide, open cabin. Because of that, it’s home is now at the foot of our bed.
You can also change up the layout of a room. It’s easy to just put the couch in the same spot with the same end tables. But be sure to try it in other spots and with other tables, too!
From one blue room to another blue room! The cool tones of the grey upholstery pair so nicely with blue that I decided to repeat the same trick again, but in a totally different way.
Spruce up the guest room
When we moved into the cabin, which is muuuuch larger than the bungalow, we had a LOT of space to fill. And a guest room for the first time ever. We both knew that we were going to upgrade to a king sized, so we decided to move our beloved Blu Dot storage bed into the guest bedroom. Even though guests technically don’t ‘need’ that storage, we’ve still been able to maximize the space for organizing out of season clothing and bedding. It’s awesome!
It’s wild looking at our tiny backyard next to our forest now!
Shop to complement existing items
I absolutely adore our outdoor dining table, so that was a given. But the chairs were really uncomfortable. We ditched them when we moved and waited until spring to select new ones. And now we love them! Sometimes all you need to update a large piece of furniture is a complementary item, like chairs, to give it new life.
I stored this mirror in Andy’s basement for at least 4 years and I’m happy that it finally has a home!
Remix the decor, too
Even though decor is typically a smaller ticket item, it felt it was worthwhile to include in this post. A great example is how I was able to re-use this mirror that I’ve had for ages. I originally used it back when I was a renter in my loft bathroom and held onto it. It finally has a home in our newly finished guest bathroom and it couldn’t be more perfect. Sometimes you just need to be patient until the right spot for a beloved piece comes to mind.
I also wanted to share how simply styling a nook differently with artwork, lighting, and pillows can make a piece feel different and fresh!
So what do you think of these tips? Do you feel more confident in repurposing existing furniture in a new home? I hope so!
