10 Easy Ways to Reuse Furniture Into Your New Space

Moving can be an excuse to go on a serious design makeover spree. New rooms, new floor plan — it’s the perf opportunity to try out some of those trends you’ve pinned to your Dream Home Pinterest board. In the real world, though, your budget can crush those dreams, leaving you with the challenge of meshing your hand-me-downs into your new home. If you’re trying to blend the old with the new, we’ve got 10 tips to help you mix and match your furniture like a pro.

1. Rethink your room layout. Rearranging your furniture can make your space feel totally new. Set your sofa at an angle, swap your nightstands for your living room side tables, or take away (or add) chairs to the area. (via A Beautiful Mess)

2. Give your old furniture a DIY makeover. If that sofa or shelving unit really isn’t jibing with the rest of your furniture, give re-upholstery or a paint job the good ol’ DIY try. (via Sugar & Cloth)

3. Use decor accents to pull the room together. Even if your furniture doesn’t really match, you can pull it all together with a unifying area rug or coordinating wall art that will anchor your design. (via Waiting on Martha)

4. Embrace a more boho-chic aesthetic. Eclectic design doesn’t have to mean crazy maximalism, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little flexibility. Embrace the more-is-more mentality, but balance your mismatched furniture with a thought-out layout and a coordinating palette. (via My Scandinavian Home)

5. Don’t take things too seriously. So you’ve inherited an orange ceramic lamp from your grandma and you have no idea how it’s going to work in your mid-century living room. Just remember: If you love it, it belongs in your home. (via Hege in France)

6. Curate little collections. Figure out an artsy way to show off your favorite knickknacks without looking like clutter. Create a vignette on your coffee table with objects picked up on travels or surround that old console table with plants. Before you know it, your space will look like something straight out of a magazine. (via Mademoiselle Claudine)

7. Find new uses for old things. If you’re struggling with ways to use those pieces of furniture, maybe it’s time to rethink how you’re using them. Put cutlery in that antique vase, move that bench into the dining room, or use an old office chair as extra living room seating. (via Femina)

8. Don’t be afraid of wooden furniture. Even if the shade isn’t exactly your dream, natural wood offers a warmth and depth to any space. (via Amber Interior Designs)

9. Go ahead and break all the rules. Combining pieces from different eras, colors, and cultures creates an incredibly cool vibe that you just can’t get with a living room full of new furniture. (via Planete Deco)

10. Paint an accent wall. You know what would make that old furniture really pop? A statement backdrop, of course! Antique wooden furniture will look far more modern displayed against a navy blue wall or bold marble wallpaper. (via My Domaine)

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