Got re-purposed?

(Kind of like Got Milk?)How do you get a new piece of furniture without spending too much money? How do you update an antique commode to fit into today's interior?

You paint it of course! And by doing so, you are also recycling an unwanted piece of furniture someone else wanted to get rid of.

These are the new pieces I decided not to buy. They cost anywhere between $300 and $700 each.

With the measurements in hand, I started by visiting a local antique mall. I actually found 3 different commodes that were the right size. The commode I chose was partially painted(shown below); it was oak, but had a new towel rack(btw this lessens the value) and the sides were splitting from the main body. It also had quite a bit of paint in the grain of the wood so I felt okay about painting it. I also removed the new towel rack. What I got was a combination antique with a modern, updated look perfect for my great room.

The finished product is below. It cost me $100 for the commode, $20 for the wood paint, and a couple hours of my time.

I have done this before with a French Louis the 16th violin-backed dining set and buffet. (The dining set was a mahogany stained wood with a veneer on the table top. The table top was damaged by fingernail polish spilled when we were kids.) After spending time painting, the dining set fit in with my then French Country interior. With a coat of paint...actually 3 coats of paint or more, as I dry-brushed the tops of the dining table and buffet to make them look like real wood, then used a brown glaze on the rest of it to make it looked a little more rustic and the details show up better. See below the finished product for yourself.

I never pass up a good piece of furniture if it can be painted or changed to work somehow. There is a side of me that loves to "repurpose" items that others have written off. Don't pass up the old mirrors if you like the frame but not the finish. I have even used metallic paints to freshen up a mirror in the remodeled bathroom on the main floor of my house.

I have also used willow sticks and pieces of a tree trunk to create a king size headboard. Some screws and rope helped make this for my master bedroom. (I have since replaced that headboard and created an upholstered headboard with nailheads outlining the edges.)

I hope that I have inspired some of you to "repurpose" an item you currently own or to go out and find one at a garage sale or an estate sale that will fit your needs!

What have you repurposed? What could you repurpose?