Louisville Homes Find New Life in Old, Repurposed Items

Home decorating for some involves purchasing brand new furniture, wall décor and other accents. But for others, finding an old piece and giving it new life is more than just a practical, environmentally friendly way to update a home’s look. For many Louisville home owners, repurposing old items found around the house can add both beauty and character. Consider these do-it-yourself ideas for turning the "no longer useful" into the "can't live without."

• Mason jars are some of the most versatile items for repurposing. Add a push pump to the to one for a rustic-looking soap dispenser, or place colored light bulbs inside several and line them outside for a festive glow when entertaining outdoors.
• Cheese graters can also add a touch of functional whimsy to the home. Use it as the base for a mobile, and hang pictures or other collectables from yarn attached to its many holes. Or paint it a fun color and sit it on your dresser. You can use the holes for decoratively holding your earrings.
• Wooden shutters can serve an amazing array of purposes. Attach large ones together to create a screen divider that can be used indoors or outside to define different spaces. Painting them in bright hues will add a bold splash of color to your space. Hang smaller wooden shutters above a desk or other workspace, and use the open slots to organize to-do lists, greeting cards, mail or recipes.
• Palates used in industrial settings can end up being a clever accent in a home. Hang one on an empty wall in the kitchen and use it as a plate rack. Or turn it into a “living wall” by planting flowers in it. If a whole palate is too big for your space, cut off just one section and use it as a planter box, or hang part of it on a wall to use as a magazine rack or book shelf.
• Cabinets contain a wealth of repurposing potential once they are no longer needed to hold dishes in the kitchen. Hang up a painted cabinet without its door on a wall, and use it as a shelf or shadow box containing decorative items. Try painting inside the frame of a cabinet door with chalkboard paint, and hang it for family notes and reminders.
• Maps can be used in hundreds of different ways that have little to do with geography. Cut a large map into three sections, frame each of the three pieces, and hang them creatively on a wall. Maps can also make a great mat covering inside a frame, especially for travel pictures.

Simply finding items around the house that have already served their intended purposes and applying a little creativity to them can result in clever new decorative accents. Louisville home owners know that “old” doesn’t have to mean “useless,” and by repurposing old items, they are adding new life and a sense of playfulness to their homes this summer.

Brad Long is a real estate Realtor based in Louisville, KY. You can contact him and search for Louisville Real Estate through his website.