Photograph by Domestically Delish
by Bonnie Joy Flamm, Interior Designer
Here are some interesting ideas for redecorating your home.
1. A Cake Stand as a potpourri holder. Tie a cute ribbon around it and it instantly transforms into something really important because its an elevated platform;
2. A Cheese Server as a soap dish for the guest bathroom. Just make sure it has a slight rim around it to contain any water spillage;
3. A Bar Cart as a book stand/side table. Try one with an antique finish for old books.
What do all these things have in common? They all do double duty, acting as something for which they are not originally intended. Put another way, they are “new” uses for things you may already have in your home. So let your imagination wander, and you will soon be an expert at “double duty decorating.”
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I like to find things in antique stores and resale shops that can be re-purposed. There are a lot of interesting things that are no longer useful for their original purpose, but are still attractive. I found an old red wagon recently. I took the wheels and the handle off to use on a garden cart that I made. This left the red metal body. I plan to get some mounting brackets at the hardware store so I can use the wagon body as a shelf. It has holes where the wheels were, so if I want to put plants in it, I’d either have to put it on a fence outside or else use plant saucers to contain the overflow.
I have a friend who searches out interesting looking old wall-mounted sinks. He found them in all kinds of pastel colors and many different shapes. He mounted these on the outside of his garage. Some have plants in them, some are empty. They are a fun way he added some interest to his yard, at the same time using something that was discarded.