Ascend's top 3 upcycling trends to try this summer

Are you bored of the current style of your home but have little to no budget to redesign it? Furniture that’s outdated or clothes that just no longer fit and taking up much-needed wardrobe space? If you answered yes to one or more of these statements, then maybe you should consider upcycling. 

Yes, we know you’ve probably seen a few 5 minute craft video that looked long and tedious but here at Ascend, we have put together our top 3 upcycling ideas to improve your home on a budget.

Photo by [Helen]

Paint Furniture

This might seem simple but it's amazing what a lick of paint can do to spruce up and modernize old furniture!

To make this as cost-effective and easy for you to do, we recommend using chalk paint as you don’t have to prime, it dries fast and only typically takes two coats to get a nice end result. When painting furniture like a kitchen dresser, using darker shades of paint at the back is a good way to display crockery. Or for free-standing furniture, choose a bold paint choice for a modern update.

Photo by [Chris Julia]

Framing Old Clothes
Okay, this one isn’t going to be a real wardrobe saver, but instead of hoarding those sentimental items of clothing, put them on display so you can enjoy them in all their glory. 

If you can’t decide which pieces to depart with and display, we suggest small thin clothing that will lay flat in a frame. Depending on the style you’re trying to achieve, a glass-case shadow box with no framing will create a minimalist look or a shadow box that has a thicker more ornate frame around the edge will become quite the statement piece. 

Photo by [Anne Sage]

Update Cupboards 

This is our favourite upcycling trend as it’s just so simple yet can revitalise your entire kitchen, without breaking the bank!

 There are plenty of ways you can do this too from repainting your cupboard doors to replacing doorknobs and handles. A more dramatic but relatively inexpensive alternative is to lose the cupboard doors completely. Creating open shelving units is a particularly useful trick for smaller kitchens as it will make your kitchen feel larger and more spacious. To finish the whole look off, you can add LED push lights under kitchen cabinets for a cheap alternative to downlighters.

 If you decide to give any of these ideas a go, don’t forget to post these online for everyone to see your upcycling skills and tag @ascend_properties, we would love to see how creative you can be!

 For anyone renting a property who is wanting to upcycle furniture that came with the home, and isn't something you purchased or brought with you, we would always recommend that you discuss this with your letting agent, property manager or landlord before making any changes.

 For more ideas and inspiration on how you can upcycle around yHiour home take a look at upcycle that.