Repurposing Belongings
- jondab
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
We bring items into our homes. We have a plan for how to use them. They have a purpose.
Then that item may no longer be needed for that purpose. The first thought is to get rid of it. Maybe buy something else that fits our needs now.
This can often happen when we move and items that we have been using will no longer fit the same in the new home. Or maybe our lives have changed, and we are repurposing entire rooms where we live now.
But let’s take a look again at these items. Can they be used in a different way? Can we repurpose these items?
Can the tall glass fronted bookcase in our living room be used as a linen closet or clothes storage piece in our new space? Can the long dresser in our bedroom be used to hold linens and items for the dining area or art room? Can the drawers of a damaged dresser be used as under the bed storage? Or the cute little drawers of a broken jewelry container be used as dividers in our desk? Silverware dividers are great as containers for jewelry or desk supplies. Large trash cans can be used to hold rolls of giftwrap or as dirty clothes hampers. Heavy metal file cabinets can be used to store tools in the shed area.
I use glass jars or plastic jars with tight lids to hold beans, rice, and pasta in my pantry. They may not be as pretty as a matched set that I could buy but they were bought with something already in them and then just repurposed when they became empty.
I have an old copper boiler wash tub that I was given many years ago that I use as a bar. It not only holds bottles but also bar items like openers, stirrers, shot glasses, etc. And it fits perfectly in my small living room by the couch.
One year I gave a Repurpose Party. Everyone came with either an example or a picture of items that they had repurposed. I had recently come into a box of glass lab flasks and sent everyone home with one repurposed as a vase with a fresh flower in it. It was a lot of fun to see what everyone came up with.
When you open your eyes to the possibilities the list can go on and on.
But here is a warning. When you keep something you have that no longer meets its original purpose but can be repurposed now, that is wonderful. But do not start holding on to stacks of egg cartons, or shelves full of empty containers because “someday” you may be able to repurpose them. If you don’t have a specific purpose for the item right now, let it go and let someone else use it.
If you are ready to work on reorganizing your home or on any other specific organizing project and want some tips, encouragement, or accountability join Diane Quintana and me in our Clear Space For You virtual clutter support group. You could complete a small project or set up an organizing plan during the call. The group will offer ideas, support, and gentle accountability for working on developing plans or projects.
Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, award-winning author, as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.
I too have an old copper boiler (sadly mine lost its lid). I use it by the side door to catch shoes and boots.
Uh oh....stacks of egg cartons...OK, I remember now! I didn't have a specific purpose for them UNTIL my brother bought some chicks. I planned to give him the whole stack on his birthday but I forgot. It's not too late, though! (The chicks aren't even laying eggs yet.) Whew!
I, like Julie, love pointing out to clients — "Hey, you know that old, empty dresser in the garage? If you get some new drawer pulls, it would be perfect for storing supplies in your office that has no closet."
One example in my own home is my mom's old cedar chest, currently being used as a TV stand (and storage) in my living room.
"But do not start holding on to stacks of egg cartons, or shelves full of empty containers because “someday” you may be able to repurpose them." This is the key problem I encounter with clients who save things with anticipation that they will SOMEDAY have a "creative" use. Sometimes, I reach the point where "creative" feels like a dirty word. ;-) I am with you — repurposing things, particularly large furniture and storage pieces can be a boon to creating an organized home. I usually tour a client's home the first time we work together, and that often yields a "hey, y'know what would work here? That <thing> I saw upstairs in the blue room." But you've hit the nail on…
Some things are definitely more suited to repurposing than others.
In 1987 I bought a house from a 90-year-old woman, the last remaining remember of her family, and much of the contents were left for us, including a blanket box which, at the time, was below the second-floor sunroom window. That was a popular spot for my dogs to survey the street. Since then, it has served as a coffee table and is currently housed in my office, where it holds a couple of board games I can't part with and a bunch of family history items such as photo albums and documents. This makes them easy to access while I'm scanning.