Furniture Repurposing: Finding Furniture at an Estate Sale
Antique furniture is almost a guaranteed find when you visit an estate sale—knowing what to do with it when you get home is another story. Rather than completely changing the look and structure of the piece, you can quickly refurbish vintage furniture to complement the aesthetic of your home. Not only are you creating a piece of furniture unique to your space, but you’re also helping the environment by upcycling something that already exists.
Take the old and make it new when you purchase a piece of furniture from a Blue Moon Estate Sale. Deep within the warm wood and retro cushions of yesterday, lies the chic and sophisticated look of tomorrow. Let Blue Moon Estate Sales guide you to your next piece of furniture that’s sure to be the talk of any dinner party.
Repurposed Furniture: Furniture with a Purpose
Repurposed items are any objects you use in ways that are different from the maker’s original intent. When you repurpose a piece of furniture, you’re making it over to either have a new purpose or a new look. Whether you simply change up the item’s position in your home or change its use altogether, repurposing antique furniture can be a simple and exciting task.
When you use a bit of creativity to repurpose and reuse furniture found at an estate sale, it’s often called upcycling. Upcycling is similar to recycling, in that you’re transforming undesired objects into desired ones. From decorative wall hangings made of unusual items to reupholstered couch cushions, upcycling has allowed for vintage items to find a new purpose in a new home.
Antique Furniture You May Find at an Estate Sale
Vintage furniture was built to last. And it was built sturdier and chunkier than furniture today. In today’s day and age, furniture is dainty, expensive, and modern.
At an estate sale, you may find chairs with thick c-scrolled legs, dressers with an abundance of inlay and clawfoot bottoms, headboards with graceful arches carved into them, and wooden Victorian furniture covered in intricate details. The type of vintage furniture you’ll discover at an estate sale will depend solely on the specific era the homeowner preferred, leaving the hunt for the perfect piece a bit of mystery.
Additional furniture treasures you may discover include:
- Gothic Revival chairs
- Elizabethan style chairs
- Couches inspired by the Renaissance era
- Mahogany and walnut desks with geometric designs
How to Make Antique Furniture Look New
Making a well loved old cabinet into a sleek mid-century centerpiece might not be as hard as you think. With thousands of social media stars flipping roadside finds, you can find the inspiration (and the know-how) to DIY your way to something great online.
If you’re looking for ways to incorporate new trends into vintage furniture pieces, give these suggestions a try:
- Replace the fabric on the seat of a chair
- Restain an old desk
- Swap out a shade on a uniquely crafted lamp
- Incorporate DIY chalk paint to any piece to add a kid-friendly touch
- Replace the top of a vintage sewing machine to turn it into a hall table
Create Something New
Just because a chair was used for its original purpose, doesn’t mean you have to follow the same rules. Nowadays, there are so many ways to elevate a piece of furniture to fit your aesthetic. Take two vintage chairs and create a beautiful entry table or refurbish an old desk into a storage unit for your shoes. Wherever your creativity takes you, the furniture will follow.
- Use hand-painted bowls as flower pots for your indoor plants
- Refurbish an antique dresser for storage in the laundry room
- Repurpose a table into a quaint bar area
- Use an old farmhouse ladder to hang towels in the bathroom
Properly Caring for Your Vintage Furniture
When it comes to antique furniture, it’s imperative to avoid using household cleaners. Due to the many years these pieces of furniture have been around, there is likely a thin layer of patina or scuff marks present—all of which add character to the item. But, if you’re looking to spruce up your newly found furniture, we advise you to invest in quality products that will enhance the furniture's features, such as wax polish.
According to Charlecote English Antique Furniture and Accessories, there are various ways to properly clean and care for antique pieces with care. Since there are so many different materials vintage furniture can be made of, it’s important to understand the ways in which to care for each piece individually. Whether you use a soft damp cloth to clean a dining room table or avoid placing items in a well-lit room to avoid color fading, there are careful tips and tricks to follow to ensure your furniture remains in tip-top condition.
Investing in the Future of Furniture with Blue Moon Estate Sales
At Blue Moon Estate Sales, our residential and commercial estate sales have everything you need—furniture, antique china, decorative items, and so much more. It’s our goal to help you find the perfect piece of furniture to accent your already beautifully styled home. Don’t let the fear of not finding the perfect piece scare you from attending an estate sale—our professionals are here to help and assist you in any way we can.
The Blue Moon Way
As a nationally recognized company, Blue Moon Estate Sales provides unparalleled service to the clients we help and an exceptional level of organization, marketing, and on-point pricing strategies for each sale. We’re here to minimize the stress and maximize your results. To find a Blue Moon Estate Sale near you, visit the shop page on our website and get started searching for the perfect piece of furniture to add to your living room.