Cool Repurposed Furniture

When I'm feeling a bit low and need a motivational boost there is one thing I know will lift my spirits and get me to my happy place again, no it's not booze, drugs or another kind of bad addiction, the answer is Re-purposed Furniture.

This is a relatively new trend that is extremely creative and costs next to nothing, it just takes some imagination and persistence.

There are so many good aspects about re-purposed furniture - it's good for the environment as it uses recycled parts, it's interesting and creative and is sure to spark interest out of people. It's very useful as you are turning old unwanted parts into a new life which people can make use out of.

My favorite re-purposed furniture are items from the vintage era - I guess you would say that this would include 1930 - 1950's - they tend to be designed well and made from craftsman, none of this factory rubbish that gets pumped out of a big machine...One of the best items I saw was vintage water skis that had been turned into a chair.

Another reason I like vintage items or even older items is that they contain a bit of a life, they have a story to tell, they have come from somewhere and had a use or maybe they made people happy - like an old water ski or a bike... they all tend to have been something in the past. For example an old bike in their former lives - now by purposing the item it makes for a groovy , highly functional and comfortable chair, that makes for a highly interesting conversational peice and sculpture in your home.

Check out the Water Ski that now makes for an amazing chair. Be sure to check out the hockey stick - that's now it's transformed into a cool box. There is an unlimited life these old products can take on, it's just takes a little bit of creativity. Check out what this designer did with an old garden hose- amazing!!

The best pieces of re-purposed furniture are those that are really function and combine a modern look. That's the challenge, to make something that was not first designed for the piece you are trying to make it in to - like a chair that is extremely really comfortable.

It helps if you are knowledgeable about furniture making and no how to put things together. See this webpage for how to make a chair but that should not stop you trying and that's the best way to learn, it would be easy enough to go out and buy a book on furniture making and then apply your knowledge to make furniture from other parts. The main thing you need to learn are the best fastening and tightening techniques so your perfect furniture item does not fall apart when you go and sit on it.

You don't have to stop at furniture - you can find items and make jewellry out of them also fashion items. Don't let your imagination stop on any one thing - let it fly to places you thought you would never go to.

Just a bit of browsing on the web and you will find many websites related to re-purposed furniture and other interesting recycled items. These items are still very cheap as you are not just buying a chair, a piece of jewelry but you are buying a work out art, so the re-purposed chair you buy doubles for a piece of sculpture.

Why go to Ikea or a big furniture place with all the designs looking similar when you can buy an interesting re-purposed furniture piece that is 100% original and doubles as a piece of artwork, think of the great conversation it will spark when you show your friends.

More and more today in this modern world we are creating less individual pieces of art or objects, we can easily go out and buy the thing at any one of a million places - but to actually craete a chair or piece of furniture gives you a sense of immense satisfaction, you will treasure the item for life or it can make an amazing gift for a loved one.

Some cool links on Re-purposed Furniture:

A full listing of many of the best repurposed furniture in the world - Coolhuntinggreen.com Smart Ideas for Repurposed Furniture - http://ryanfrank.net/

A sweet little site on cool objects and furniture - http://www.screwhead.org