Recycling and reusing old furniture

chez green 3Oh we’re going to have a lot of fun with this week’s Change the World Wednesday Challenge!

Don’t you love a good nose around people’s homes? I know I do!

On Reduce Footprints this week we’ve been asked to take a good look at our furnishings and decor and to ask ourselves just how ‘eco friendly’ they are.

So I thought I’d give you a guided tour of all our ‘recycled’ furniture.

Now, over the years at Chez Green, you’ve seen plenty of the garden and a bit of the kitchen, but I don’t think you’ve been allowed in the lounge yet. It’s a shoes off room because we have a white carpet, but you can take a peek as long as you leave your glass of red wine outside the door.

Come this way!

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Antique Chairs

On the right you’ll spot a Queen Anne chair. This was found in a shed by Mr Green when we was helping out a family in the village. “Oh that old piece of junk!” the owner exclaimed as two Labradors jumped onto it, “You can have it if you like, I’d only be too pleased to get rid of them.”

After some cleaning and repairing the PAIR of chairs now adorn our living room and they’re real favourites. You don’t get chairs like that any more…

Fireguard

In front of the fireplace you’ll see the fire guard. This was salvaged by Mr Green from a place that had burned down in a town centre many years ago…

Clock

The clock on the mantle piece belonged to my Great Auntie. She was a lady who would buy the best quality she could afford. Funnily enough it always paid off – this clock is probably about as old as me and doesn’t lose a second…

Companion set

The companion set was a present bought from the local antiques centre; I’m guessing it’s the real deal and has been pre loved.

 

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Bookcase

The bookcase on the right belonged to my Grandfather. It used to be in his bedroom and I loved the bookcase even as a child. It has a strange habit of toppling forwards when empty, so the trick is to erm, keep it full at all times. That’s not a problem in a house full of book lovers.

Table

The table next to the sofa which you can just see on the right, was spotted by Mr Green in a junk shop. He talked them down to £5, bought it home, fixed it and it’s been there ever since. Mr G puts his computer on there when he’s not using it.

Sofa

What’s not to love about eBay? This John Lewis sofa bed cost about £900 new, but for us we bagged a second hand bargain on eBay for about £250. A couple were moving house and had nowhere to put this beast that weighs more than a piano.

Writing desk

Given to Mr Green when he was knee high to a grass hopper by a family who lived down the lane. They were getting rid of it and Mr Green couldn’t resist all the hidden drawers and secret compartments that hint of narnia. It now sits to the left of the sofa.

Grandmother Clock

The clock at the top of this post belonged, funnily enough, to my Grandmother. It used to sit in her lounge next to the piano. It went to my brother when she died and to me when he moved house. It needs fixing, but I still love to have it in my home because it’s not so big that it takes over the room.

So there you go – an eclectic mix of John Lewis and antique, but it all pulls together to make our house a home.

What about you – do you mix and match styles in your home? Do you like salvaging vintage items and knick knacks or are you more minimalist?

1 Comment

  1. Deborah Davis on March 20, 2014 at 2:25 am

    Hi,
    I just hopped over from Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) to take a look at the recycled and reused furniture at Chez Green. (I love that name!)How wonderful it must be to live and love in a home filled with old or salvaged furnishings that evoke fond memories and meaning, as well as used finds that are reused by your family instead of adding to the tons of trash we humans create daily. Create reuse is good for your home and good for the environment! All the best, Deborah