Some people can look at a piece of junk and find beauty and endless possibilities. To them, an item isn’t trash but treasure and after they give it a little makeover they’re capable of turning a once unloved item into something stunning.
From trash to treasure
We’ve all heard that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But, how many people are actually willing to go the extra mile to actually transform said junk into something fabulous?
Well, well upcycling fanboy certainly knew how to give the Midas touch treatment to a king-sized headboard that would have otherwise been destined for the landfill.
A discarded headboard
After going all Frankenstein-DIY on the “useless” piece of garbage, the gorgeous reading room chair he cobbled together is more than just alive – it screams French chic masterpiece!
If you’re one of these people that struggle to separate your recyclables from the garbage, then this fun DIY project from designer and artist Mike Macon may inspire you to go one step further.
Breathing new life into it
Mike, who owns Just Repurposed in Hanceville, Alabama, is on a mission to show people how easy it is to transform everyday waste objects into functional and stylish furniture.
A crusty, unloved headboard
Take this crusty old king-sized headboard, for example. That beautiful wood is like gold when it comes to valuable material resources.
Perfectly good wood
Now that the holidays are upon us and budgets are tight, it’s more important than ever to make the almighty dollar stretch even further.
So ask yourself this – why buy it new from Home Depot when there’s plenty of free or inexpensive wood to be had that’s just begging to be put to good use?
This king-size headboard that Mike uses in this project was originally part of a vintage sleigh bed. It would have been chucked into the landfill if Mike hadn’t salvaged it.
Cutting it up
After precisely measuring out his project beforehand, Mike divided the headboard into thirds with a handsaw.
As you can see here, those pieces were used to create the back and side arms of the chair. He also added additional wooden beams for support in the two back corners of the chair and a wooden platform for the seating area.
A few screws here and there and the lounge chair is really starting to come together.
Giving it a new color
After the construction portion of the project was complete, Mike coated the brown wood color with Dixie Belle Paint in the color “Driftwood.”
Normally you’d have to sand and prime the wood before you paint it, but according to their marketing, Dixie Belle’s line of chalk mineral paints has unique adhesive qualities that eliminate the need to sand, prime, prep or seal the wood.
With over 60 colors to choose from, the hardest part is actually picking the color. The subdued matte finish, as you can see, can then be distressed beautifully.
Easy peasy, right?
Part of the thrill of upcycling and repurposing everyday objects comes from letting your imagination run wild.
Just like Michelangelo saw masterpieces in blobs of clay, you too can create something new out of something old. It all starts with re-thinking the definition of “garbage.”
Like all good upcyclers, Mike improved upon the headboard’s original function and made it even better! And not only is it better, but it looks extremely inviting and comfy too.
A chair like this is something you don’t see in every home. We love how it turned out!
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