Reduce, Reuse, Rethink

Enlarge Image Image Gallery reinvigorate a vintage cart: To fashion a sleek new wine cart, we disassembled and sandblasted this tired model, then we powdercoated the like-new surface with a bold color, replaced the worn-out bolts and reassembled it. Total cost: $45 Photos by Povy Kendal Atchison

When remodeling, working with what you already have is one of the most eco-friendly things you can do. "Our desire for new, new, new, and to consume, consume, consume leads to our fast depletion of resources," says Lili Wright, a Philadelphia-based interior designer. "We make the best use of things in their creative reuse."

Rethinking how, where and why you use the furnishings you have, then doing a little cleanup here and repurposing there, can give your home a brand-new look—same old stuff and all.

Reuse

So it’s not ready for a magazine close-up? Don’t throw it out yet. Many quality pieces just need a little cosmetic help.

A coat of paint can be a cure-all for wood, metal and other hard surfaces; choose paints low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to avoid outgassing. Decorative molding is inexpensive and adds style to wood furnishings (look for solid wood molding, not synthetic). Or toss a pretty throw onto a tabletop, chair or dresser to create a new look.

Recovering chair cushions in look-at-me, eco-friendly material is a fast fix in the dining room, Wright says. "You will feel like you have a whole new dining set," she adds.

Erin, a homeowner who turned these old shelves from plain to pretty, explains: "My husband and I received these beautiful handmade shelves as a gift from some friends a few years ago. When we moved to our new apartment, we decided that we needed more color in our lives. Being a huge fan of all things DIY, I wanted to show my husband how easy it was to make ‘old’ things new again. This project was perfect. It proved to be budget-friendly and fun." Erin was thrilled they reused the piece they had rather than buying new. "I’m currently on a mission to convince everyone that a little low-VOC paint goes a long way....It’s definitely one of the greatest things I’ve learned from my mom," she says.

Jen transformed this tired chair (right), which had been damaged when it fell off the back of a truck on the interstate, into her own personal heirloom. She explains: "The chair was in bad shape—the legs had broken off and the fabric was scuffed all over. I don’t know how the upholsterer did it but, wow, it looks so great!"