Salvage
materials.
One of the greatest ways to
create an authentic style in interior design is to repurpose organic, gently
used materials.
An easy ways to be on trend in 2017 is to
go au naturale.
Whether you find pallets outside of grocery
stores, or old planters at a thrift shop, there are plenty of ways to salvage
materials and repurpose them into chic new interior design elements for
2017.
Pallets are large pieces of wood nailed together, and
are actually one of the most versatile items that you can reuse to repurpose
salvaged materials. You can take a few beams off in the center and make a
functional art piece. You can stain it any variety of different colors to
match any room’s tone, from a deep cherry red to a cognac natural brown to a
bleached out oak to your basic black. People who are skilled with a little
DIY and carpentry can turn pallets into dog beds or coffee tables with minimal
effort and just a few tools that don’t even require power, other than your
own two hands!
One of the most popular ways that we’ve seen
a pallet repurposed is by a affixing some mason jars full of herbs or flowers
to the item, then hanging on the wall as a functional and beautiful,
aesthetically pleasing, art piece.
Planters, meanwhile, can
become bases for furniture or can be used to actually plant things
in!
Another means of repurposing materials?
Finding
them in nature.
A piece of driftwood can
become a treated and beautifully functional headboard. It might seem macabre,
but skulls and bones that are bleached and cured can be quite an expensive
design element! Same thing with (believe it or not) giant hornets nests,
which are now occasionally preserved and hung from fireplaces or mantles as
chic interior design elements in 2017.
Smaller items, like
pinecones or stones found on morning walks, can be used to create beautiful
centerpieces by simply arranging them artfully in a glass or wooden bowl.
Consider going to the next level and adding some glitter or spray paint. In
fact, you can find the non-organic version of these items at many craft
stores. Why not head out into nature and repurpose them for
free?
Lastly, you can repurpose materials by thinking
outside the box a little bit, a la Scarlett O’Hara. For example, use
beautiful decorative cloth napkins as attractive layering pieces on coffee
tables or end tables. Hang small blankets on the wall as wall art. For that
matter, try tearing up some old blankets or quilts and taking your own stab
at quilting, which is experiencing a resurgence in popularity as organic
items see more growth in design use in 2017.
Using
repurposed materials is a cost-effective way to take your interior design to
the next level in 2017. Organic and one-of-a-kind items are becoming more
popular than big-box store items – they bring a little bit of personality
with them into your room, which is what the bond of decor in 2017 is all
about! Tell your own story and use real, repurposed elements to do it. If you
manage to put your own stamp on them while decorating, even better.
