We are all guilty of having old pieces of furniture collecting dust in our storage. It may be their sentimental value or their extravagant price point that are preventing you from getting rid of them. Whatever the case may be, instead of neglecting or disposing of these items, Zoocasa, a Canadian real estate website, has come up with a few ways you can redesign and repurpose old furniture.
Giving Dressers New Life
If you are currently undertaking a closet remodel and are looking to replace your current dresser, or if you simply have an old dresser laying around, try these DIYs for a fresh new look.
1. For the wine lovers: Start by removing one or all the rows of drawers. Place wine bottle rests from an old wine rack or create them by using a wood router to create a wine rack. You may also choose to repaint or stain it to have it match the rest of your furniture.
2. For those with a green thumb: Planters are an easy way to give your garden a unique design. You can take the drawers and add legs, then simply repaint them if you prefer.
3. For the pet parents: Perhaps your furry friend is in need of a new bed. Like the planters, this DIY can be achieved by simply taking the drawers, adding short legs to each corner, and placing a comfy pillow or cushion inside. Remember to remove any sharp metal pieces on the side that could harm your pets.
We’re Bringing Vintage Back
Passed down furniture often holds a lot of sentimental value which makes it difficult to give it away. However, these pieces seldom match your interior design. Here are a few ideas to help incorporate a vintage hutch into any home.
1. In the bathroom: While looking at condos for sale, you will notice that they tend to have limited space so a repurposed hutch is a good way to add storage in the bathroom. To do this, take the top half – usually containing shelves – and drill it to the wall above your bathtub or toilet to add extra shelving.
2. Children’s dresser: Repainting your hutch a fun color and adding closet rods in place of the shelves at the top is an easy way to create a child’s wardrobe.
3. In the mud room: For this DIY, you’re going to need to separate the top and the bottom halves. After drilling the top half to the wall, drill hooks right underneath it for a place to hang jackets and sweaters. Depending on the height of the bottom half, you can choose to leave it as it is or consider adding a cushion to provide a bench in the mud room.
Flipping a Bookshelf
The possibilities for repurposing a bookshelf are endless due to the variety of shapes and sizes they come in.
1. Kitchen Upgrade: As you look at homes for sale, a kitchen island might be on your checklist. For homes you’ve fallen in love with that don’t happen to have an island, consider turning a wider and mid height bookshelf into one! To do this, you can simply add a countertop or take it even further by removing the backs and drawers for a more open storage island.
2. Easy seating: For tall and narrow bookshelves, you could lay the bookshelf on its side and you could add a longer cushion on top to create a bench with extra storage beneath it.
3. Desk remodel: For students and those who work from home, a desk may be an attractive DIY project. Keeping the bookshelf as it is, simply attach a wooden plank to one of the shelves and add legs to be left with a practical desk with storage.
Before you think about getting rid of furniture you haven’t used in a while, consider the DIY projects above and enjoy your “new” piece of furniture!
Living Room Storage Ideas: 28 Ways to Reclaim Your Hosting Space
If a living room is where most of a household’s living happens, good storage should be the top priority for setting up or revamping the place. After all, think of how easier it would be to have people over when tidying up the place is just a matter of putting things in their right place (in a time when fewer and fewer people are entertaining friends at home(opens in new tab)). The trick is making room for all those wayward clothes, blankets, chargers and other small things that end up on (or, inexplicably, in) the sofa. Here are 28 living room storage ideas to get you started and make tidying up a quick affair.
25 Mudroom Storage Ideas (And Mistakes to Avoid)
When you come home with muddy boots, an armful of bags and a coat you can’t wait to take off, it’s nice to have somewhere to put it all. With a mudroom, you can leave the outdoor mess at the door instead of carrying it through the house. Traditionally, you’d set aside a separate room, but you can just as easily use a hallway, an entryway closet, a laundry-room corner or a stretch of wall near the entrance.
Is Your Home Office Worth the Rent? What Coworking and Self Storage Could Save You
Every square foot of your apartment comes with a price tag, and a home office claims more of them than most renters expect. It starts with a desk. Then come the second monitor, the printer, the filing cabinet and the overflow boxes. Before long, the corner you set aside for work has turned into a small room you are paying for every month.
Best U.S. Cities to Live Uncluttered: Plano, TX, Offers the Most Room to Breathe
Clutter is in our homes as much as in our heads. Both are shaped by where we live.
America’s Top Snowbird Destinations for 2026–2027: Florida Leads in Numbers, Texas Wins on Value
For Americans living in colder states, the approach of winter is reason enough to start looking south. Cold weather carries costs that go beyond the heating bill and shoveling snow. Seasonal affective disorder(opens in new tab) is far more prevalent in northern states, so a temporary move south isn’t simply an escape from the cold, but a chance to spend the hardest stretch of winter outdoors and in the sun.
How Much Does Halloween Really Cost in 2026? Plan Wisely to Avoid the Scare of Hidden Costs
Americans’ love for Halloween is almost frightening — this year alone, we are on our way to spending $13.5 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation(opens in new tab). That breaks down to about $115 Halloween costs per person, a whopping 49% more than 10 years ago.
How to Store LEGOs: All the Fun, None of the Clutter
How to store LEGOs largely comes down to how your household uses them. If the bricks are part of everyday play, you need a setup that keeps them within easy reach and makes cleanup quick (for your feet’s sake, at least). Toy storage(opens in new tab) such as simple bins, playmats or containers that children can put away themselves may be enough. Larger or more serious collections usually need more organization, such as labelled drawers for loose pieces, trays for unfinished builds, shelves for completed models and separate storage for retired sets.
Cardboard Costume Guide: Tips and Ideas for a DIY Halloween
Whether for kids or adults, cardboard costume ideas often make the biggest splash once materialized, and that’s for a simple reason: doing a lot with a little is a universally impressive feat (especially in this economy). If you don’t have enough boxes you could temporarily repurpose, don’t worry! There are many places where you can find free moving boxes(opens in new tab), from stores and supermarkets to online groups and recycling drop-off spots. On the run? Try your luck at a self storage(opens in new tab) facility that sells moving supplies, often for cheap. This way, you can choose moving boxes of different shapes and sizes(opens in new tab), so you can make your costumes as complex as you want.
How to Celebrate Halloween: 9 Non-Spooky Ways To Enjoy It
As soon as October starts, it’s the official Halloween month. And while for many people it means it’s open season to get the scare of a lifetime, others, especially families with small children, might prefer to celebrate in a tamer way that’s both kid- and adult-friendly. While you’re likely to find more events where the spook factor is high, here’s how to celebrate Halloween in a not-so-scary way: