Clever Ways to Reclaim, Restore and Recycle from our Houzz Tours
Discover how professionals breathed new life into old objects in these creative renovation projects
Amanda Pollard
24 October 2022
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
To add life and character to a home, it’s a good idea to incorporate design that tells a story. These Houzz professionals have used creative ideas to restore or upcycle antique and reclaimed objects to give their projects an interesting, timeless appeal.
If you want to ensure an old piece stays in good condition for years to come, remember to hire a skilled expert to do any restoration work. And for more useful articles, check out our Sustainable Renovation Planning guide.
Starting your renovation? Read How to Renovate Sustainably
If you want to ensure an old piece stays in good condition for years to come, remember to hire a skilled expert to do any restoration work. And for more useful articles, check out our Sustainable Renovation Planning guide.
Starting your renovation? Read How to Renovate Sustainably
Repurpose flooring
When you have a great idea, it’s worth putting in the effort to make it happen. Stephen Nash of ALL & NXTHING proved this with his kitchen island worktop. The 3.3m-long unit is covered with reclaimed parquet flooring – which proved to be a mammoth task.
Stephen and his carpenter, Gregos, spent hours scraping bitumen off the bottom of each piece of wood. Gregos then stuck down each individual block and finally sealed the whole surface with a raw oil to ensure it was water-resistant. The result is a unique and beautiful worktop that adds bags of character.
Tour the rest of this Victorian home transformed by a double-storey extension.
When you have a great idea, it’s worth putting in the effort to make it happen. Stephen Nash of ALL & NXTHING proved this with his kitchen island worktop. The 3.3m-long unit is covered with reclaimed parquet flooring – which proved to be a mammoth task.
Stephen and his carpenter, Gregos, spent hours scraping bitumen off the bottom of each piece of wood. Gregos then stuck down each individual block and finally sealed the whole surface with a raw oil to ensure it was water-resistant. The result is a unique and beautiful worktop that adds bags of character.
Tour the rest of this Victorian home transformed by a double-storey extension.
Refresh something you already own
Sometimes, the look you’re after can be right under your nose, as interior designer Emilie Fournet found out. This vintage radiator was already in place in her Victorian flat, but it had a chrome finish.
Emilie had her decorators remove the chrome surface to reveal the copper underneath. Now it fits in beautifully with the shower fittings.
See more of this dingy Victorian flat that gained light and character.
Find an expert for your project in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Sometimes, the look you’re after can be right under your nose, as interior designer Emilie Fournet found out. This vintage radiator was already in place in her Victorian flat, but it had a chrome finish.
Emilie had her decorators remove the chrome surface to reveal the copper underneath. Now it fits in beautifully with the shower fittings.
See more of this dingy Victorian flat that gained light and character.
Find an expert for your project in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Get creative with a cabinet
There are numerous ways to update a vintage cabinet or sideboard. Take this idea, for example. Interior designer Mel Massey decided to turn this cabinet into a bar area for her loft.
Storing glasses and drinks equipment was easy, but installing a sink and tap was a little more tricky. She asked her plumber to fit them into the section behind the left-hand glass door and hide the water pipe below.
Visit this Victorian home with a family feel.
There are numerous ways to update a vintage cabinet or sideboard. Take this idea, for example. Interior designer Mel Massey decided to turn this cabinet into a bar area for her loft.
Storing glasses and drinks equipment was easy, but installing a sink and tap was a little more tricky. She asked her plumber to fit them into the section behind the left-hand glass door and hide the water pipe below.
Visit this Victorian home with a family feel.
Interior designer Celine Erlam of Indie & Co made creative use of an old sideboard in this bathroom. She chose a marble surface to go on top, and hired a stone professional to cut out holes for pipework. Two basins were positioned on the surface, with wall-mounted taps above.
Find out how natural finishes added texture to this calm, minimal home.
Find out how natural finishes added texture to this calm, minimal home.
This vintage cabinet was turned into a bedside table by the team at Pineapple Interiors. To update it and coordinate with the rest of the room, they painted the frame blue.
See how period charm was brought back to this terraced house.
See how period charm was brought back to this terraced house.
Buy a bargain basin
Salvaged pieces are a good option if you’re looking for something that isn’t standard size. In this bathroom, for instance, Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors was looking for a basin that was both practical and space-saving. She bagged this old chemistry lab sink at an antiques fair.
The deep basin offers a generous area for washing, but its small size leaves room for a good-sized worktop.
Take a tour of this converted Victorian dairy.
Salvaged pieces are a good option if you’re looking for something that isn’t standard size. In this bathroom, for instance, Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors was looking for a basin that was both practical and space-saving. She bagged this old chemistry lab sink at an antiques fair.
The deep basin offers a generous area for washing, but its small size leaves room for a good-sized worktop.
Take a tour of this converted Victorian dairy.
Before Photo
Strip back wood
The cupboard in designer Michelle Shakallis’s bathroom was nice enough, but she was keen to return it to its former glory.
The cupboard in designer Michelle Shakallis’s bathroom was nice enough, but she was keen to return it to its former glory.
Michelle asked a wood restoration expert to strip it back and restore it, revealing the grain of the timber.
Functionality was also added with a door at floor level to give access to the bottom of the cabinet.
Discover this monochrome bathroom with warm natural touches.
Functionality was also added with a door at floor level to give access to the bottom of the cabinet.
Discover this monochrome bathroom with warm natural touches.
Fill a gap
In this 16th century home, a doorway had originally led from the drawing room into the hall. As it wasn’t needed anymore, the team at Sims Hilditch decided to repurpose it as a drinks cabinet. The process was meticulous, as the building is listed, but the result is both stunning and practical.
Look around this 16th century manor house, transformed with calming hues.
In this 16th century home, a doorway had originally led from the drawing room into the hall. As it wasn’t needed anymore, the team at Sims Hilditch decided to repurpose it as a drinks cabinet. The process was meticulous, as the building is listed, but the result is both stunning and practical.
Look around this 16th century manor house, transformed with calming hues.
Fashion new from old
An east London warehouse was the perfect place for Vincenzo Palomba of HouseUP to be clever with reclaimed materials. Owner Lulu Skinner bought some antique wood from a timber yard and found some copper piping.
Vincenzo used these old objects to make kitchen shelving and a bookcase for the living area.
Have a nose around this open-plan flat in an east London warehouse.
An east London warehouse was the perfect place for Vincenzo Palomba of HouseUP to be clever with reclaimed materials. Owner Lulu Skinner bought some antique wood from a timber yard and found some copper piping.
Vincenzo used these old objects to make kitchen shelving and a bookcase for the living area.
Have a nose around this open-plan flat in an east London warehouse.
Design a doorway
The design of this house was based around French antiques that the owners were keen to incorporate. The library and living room area, for example, is divided by reclaimed doors that were old and bent.
Marek Przychocki of Convert Construction rose to the challenge of installing the doors by straightening them. The team then built the wall to the exact measurements and fitted the doors in place, a task made even more difficult by the folding design.
The design of this house was based around French antiques that the owners were keen to incorporate. The library and living room area, for example, is divided by reclaimed doors that were old and bent.
Marek Przychocki of Convert Construction rose to the challenge of installing the doors by straightening them. The team then built the wall to the exact measurements and fitted the doors in place, a task made even more difficult by the folding design.
Salvage tiles
In the same house, the hallway layout was altered to fit a cloakroom beneath the stairs. This meant the original mosaic tiles finished halfway along the corridor, where the previous floor layout ended.
Marek’s team painstakingly removed the tiles from behind the rear door and bought some extra matching ones. They then laid the tiles so the joins were invisible.
Find out how this home was restored around French treasures.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas is your favourite? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
In the same house, the hallway layout was altered to fit a cloakroom beneath the stairs. This meant the original mosaic tiles finished halfway along the corridor, where the previous floor layout ended.
Marek’s team painstakingly removed the tiles from behind the rear door and bought some extra matching ones. They then laid the tiles so the joins were invisible.
Find out how this home was restored around French treasures.
Tell us…
Which of these ideas is your favourite? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Great article. There seems to be so much ripping out of perfectly serviceable items when updating, when maybe stripping back or painting can refresh an item and improve a room no end. The rooms end up being so much more interesting too!
@ Sonia, I very much agree, except that I did have the bath tubs ripped out as neither partner nor children had taken a bath for over 20 years, I've not done so since 1974; it made no sense and was increasingly perilous to have to clamber into and out of a bath simply to shower. Plus it wastes hot water!
I love them all. Its such a shame when the crux of the house is dismantled for new fittings. I love a house that can tell a story (or imagine it telling the story)