Thrifting is a fantastic business. You merely have to look into Pinterest or the many blogs about recycling old items to know you can find something wonderful and remix it into your own brand new item. The beauty of thrifting furniture is that you can find something with magnificent bones – that is, a good quality piece with old charm. Older furniture was made with much more care than the current pressed wood items that you can pick up from your local big box store. Finding an old piece with dovetail joints, real wood, and an extremely low price can set the scene for recycling something old into something brand new and beautiful that is uniquely your own. Here are a few steps to head towards finding a piece of your own.
For starters, head out to the local thrift shop. What kind of dresser are you looking for? What part of the house are you going to store it in? What types of items are you looking to store in the dresser once you find it? Ask yourself these questions in order to determine what type of piece you are going to use. It could be tall and thin for a hallway, or short and squat to store DVDs in with a TV on top. Once you get the piece in mind, you’ll have a much easier time sorting through the mixture of shapes and sizes you’ll have at your fingertips.
Find a good workspace
Once you’ve found your piece, it is time to get to work, but what you do NOT want to do is wreck the entire house. Remember you’re going to be working with chemicals like strippers to take off old varnish and slinging paints around. You don’t want to have any larger clean up than necessary. If you cannot go outside, consider a kitchen or a basement to keep your pretty spaces safe.
It’s time to choose your color scheme. If you’ve already got the house decorated, this is an easy choice: you can just match it up. If you’re planning to make this new piece a centerpiece, you’ll want to use your imagination and come up with a beautiful color scheme. Do you want your piece to be subtle, yet sophisticated? Choose a neutral, classic color. Are you looking to make a big statement? Go for something bold!
One of the easiest ways to make something old look like something new is to remove the old hardware and add in something new. This is where the power of the internet will come into play. There is a myriad of new colors, metals, and patterns to consider. Remember, keep the cost low or you’ll squander the savings you’ve accumulated by thrifting.
It may seem like a daunting project at first, but once you begin, you’ll find that it isn’t. Take yourself over to the thrift store and pick out the piece that speaks to you. Find a safe space to work on it in, and before you know it, you’ll have a new piece that is absolutely incredible!
