In every interior you can find something that has no more use to its owner, apart from maybe some emotional value. Often, we throw these items away, hoard them or we find a new purpose for these old things. Take, for example, a broken bike. If you are really creative, you can make a one-of-a-kind clock out of its wheel.
We have a lot of articles we bought on little markets in China that actually do not serve a purpose anymore. Do you know anyone who might have some use for old wooden weaving equipment? Anyone interested in a stick to beat your laundry dry? Anyone? (You may always contact us if your dryer breaks down and you feel slightly desperate).
It is difficult if you encounter items that have definite decorative potential, but are of little use in an interior. You can always display them on a cabinet or table, but why not make them useful?
Repurposed Lamps
We found several pots with a nice, low center of gravity that make excellent lamps! Combine them with a neutral coloured shade for the more shabby chic interiors, but up the color a little and they can be added to any modern or contemporary interior.
Candleholders can be a bit troublesome and small flames do not emit a lot of light. Therefore, we turned this rusty candle holder into an amazing bedside or living room lamp!
We can imagine you do not have a big weaving apparatus in your house anymore (maybe your grandma did though), so you would not have a lot of use for weaving tools. But these wooden spools are excellent design elements in a table lamp!
Remember that wooden wash stick we found? They also make great bedside or table lamps!
Repurposed Candle Holders
Repurposing objects into candleholders is slightly easier than refashioning them into lamps. You can take many flat objects and use them as stabilizers for little tea lights or chunky colorful candles. We have some ideas here for very unique candleholders!
These items used to be opium pillows. People about to be heavily intoxicated with opium smoke would put their valuables inside and push the opening against the wall. They would lay down with their heads on the pillow so no one could steal their money whilst they were floating on opium damps. We do not condone drug use, but we admire history so we put tea lights in these earthenware pillows!
You could eat your noodles and rice out of antique bowls, but it is more interesting to use some modern china for dinner and put some little candles in the bowls!
Little ceramics pots like these can become extra decorative when used as a candle holder!
What can you do with a wooden stool small enough for only babies to sit on? The small and concave ones were used as neck support by the Chinese (before pillows became mainstream). The straight stools were carried around by children for school or sitting outside. Children nowadays prefer something soft and squishy to sit on. We use these old stools on a table or beside the bathtub to carry some romantic candles!
Of course, antique candleholders and ceramic oil lamps can still be used as candleholders. Not a lot to repurpose here; just decide in which interior or room they will look best!
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