<p>There’s no denying the thrill of getting a new furniture piece for your home. However, the satisfaction of repurposing old and heirloom furniture as showpieces can have greater satisfaction and wow appeal. If that can be done to serve a contemporary decor, there’s immense value to the upcycling effort.</p>.<p>We have five great hacks for a contemporary house.</p>.<p><strong>Wood bed with canopy frame</strong></p>.<p>While some value an old wood bed with canopy frame for mosquito net, the look of this furniture may not necessarily align with contemporary sleek decor.</p>.<p>If the wood is of premium quality, usually old beds were made with teak or rose wood, the base and the headboards could be repurposed as wood settees. The rods could be used as cladding for an interior column or as rafters for a small lobby. The rods could also be used to make high back ladder chairs for the breakfast counter.</p>.<p><strong>Chest of drawers</strong></p>.<p>An old chest of drawers can be converted into an art accent easily. Since most modern houses and apartments have built-in wardrobes and storage units, one suggestion is to refurbish the furniture as a dining, breakfast table. The lower drawers can be removed and replaced with shelves and sturdy shutters can be easily fixed. The shutters could be styled according to the decor of the house and painted or reclad. Wicker shutters, for instance, can blend easily with any decor.</p>.<p>The best part of the entire refurbishing project is that you can use the old drawers as wall shelves if need be.</p>.<p><strong>Milk closet</strong></p>.<p>When Kanika Rao’s aunt was moving to a new city, she was offered to select any of the old heirloom furniture that was there in the house. Her eyes fell upon a small wood milk closet that was used in her grandmother’s house. “It was called a milk closet,” she explains. “It was a compact unit about three feet tall with four shelves within. The front and sides of the closet had wire gauze instead of solid boards. Milk and other perishables were stored in this closet. Because Bengaluru’s weather was cool and often cold in the mornings and nights, the perishables stayed intact in the airy interiors of the closet.”</p>.<p>She had the closet painted with a lacquer finish and repositioned the shelves within to hold wine and liquor bottles as well as glass tumblers and wine glasses. “I let the wire gauze remain and have kept a wine bottle stand on top of the closet. My cute little bar unit is a conversation starter.”</p>.<p><strong>Wood boxes</strong></p>.<p>Olden households had wood boxes in which they would place their clothes and other knickknacks. If you happen to have such a wood box, that’s plain looking, you could refurbish it into a useful piece of furniture. How about a modern bench for the dining table? You can add a little extra height to the box and get the top upholstered with faux leather or with cotton cushions.</p>.<p>Not only will it be a stylish bench but also a convenient storage space for extra dining sets and cutlery.</p>.<p><strong>Wood wardrobe</strong></p>.<p>Most households had wood cupboards with three or four shutters that were usually made with quality wood like teak wood or rose wood. Since such standalone cupboards are not preferred as storage solutions now, the entire unit can be customised as storage units in the living spaces - bedroom, family room or kitchen. It not only saves money but there is also the reassuring presence of old, familiar furniture in a new space. This kind of refurbishment can be a great idea provided the old furniture is in good condition.</p>
<p>There’s no denying the thrill of getting a new furniture piece for your home. However, the satisfaction of repurposing old and heirloom furniture as showpieces can have greater satisfaction and wow appeal. If that can be done to serve a contemporary decor, there’s immense value to the upcycling effort.</p>.<p>We have five great hacks for a contemporary house.</p>.<p><strong>Wood bed with canopy frame</strong></p>.<p>While some value an old wood bed with canopy frame for mosquito net, the look of this furniture may not necessarily align with contemporary sleek decor.</p>.<p>If the wood is of premium quality, usually old beds were made with teak or rose wood, the base and the headboards could be repurposed as wood settees. The rods could be used as cladding for an interior column or as rafters for a small lobby. The rods could also be used to make high back ladder chairs for the breakfast counter.</p>.<p><strong>Chest of drawers</strong></p>.<p>An old chest of drawers can be converted into an art accent easily. Since most modern houses and apartments have built-in wardrobes and storage units, one suggestion is to refurbish the furniture as a dining, breakfast table. The lower drawers can be removed and replaced with shelves and sturdy shutters can be easily fixed. The shutters could be styled according to the decor of the house and painted or reclad. Wicker shutters, for instance, can blend easily with any decor.</p>.<p>The best part of the entire refurbishing project is that you can use the old drawers as wall shelves if need be.</p>.<p><strong>Milk closet</strong></p>.<p>When Kanika Rao’s aunt was moving to a new city, she was offered to select any of the old heirloom furniture that was there in the house. Her eyes fell upon a small wood milk closet that was used in her grandmother’s house. “It was called a milk closet,” she explains. “It was a compact unit about three feet tall with four shelves within. The front and sides of the closet had wire gauze instead of solid boards. Milk and other perishables were stored in this closet. Because Bengaluru’s weather was cool and often cold in the mornings and nights, the perishables stayed intact in the airy interiors of the closet.”</p>.<p>She had the closet painted with a lacquer finish and repositioned the shelves within to hold wine and liquor bottles as well as glass tumblers and wine glasses. “I let the wire gauze remain and have kept a wine bottle stand on top of the closet. My cute little bar unit is a conversation starter.”</p>.<p><strong>Wood boxes</strong></p>.<p>Olden households had wood boxes in which they would place their clothes and other knickknacks. If you happen to have such a wood box, that’s plain looking, you could refurbish it into a useful piece of furniture. How about a modern bench for the dining table? You can add a little extra height to the box and get the top upholstered with faux leather or with cotton cushions.</p>.<p>Not only will it be a stylish bench but also a convenient storage space for extra dining sets and cutlery.</p>.<p><strong>Wood wardrobe</strong></p>.<p>Most households had wood cupboards with three or four shutters that were usually made with quality wood like teak wood or rose wood. Since such standalone cupboards are not preferred as storage solutions now, the entire unit can be customised as storage units in the living spaces - bedroom, family room or kitchen. It not only saves money but there is also the reassuring presence of old, familiar furniture in a new space. This kind of refurbishment can be a great idea provided the old furniture is in good condition.</p>
