To find out more about how to easily upcycle old furniture while still staying true to your home’s aesthetic, Barratt London teamed up with Karl Openshaw, interior design expert and Creative Director at Blocc Interiors, who shares his top tips.

Karl says: “Whether you're working with a tighter budget or simply looking to make more mindful, sustainable choices, repurposing pre-loved furniture is fast becoming a go-to approach for injecting character into your home.

“There’s a fine line between a DIY experiment and a piece that feels seamlessly considered. Done well, repurposing can yield furniture that not only suits your space but becomes the standout feature within it.”

Start with the right piece

“Finding furniture that aligns with your home's style can be time-consuming, and expensive. Repurposing allows you to create something truly unique, in a way that’s far more sustainable and often more personal.

“If you're just starting out, begin with a small, manageable piece. Think of a compact side table or a tired wooden chair, they’re perfect for experimenting with techniques like sanding, staining, or painting. Chalk-based finishes can give a relaxed, lived-in feel, while high-gloss paints can transform a vintage shape into something that feels sharp and contemporary.

“You can discover ideal pieces everywhere from antique fairs and car boot sales to online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Be open-minded; sometimes the less obvious shapes offer the most potential with the right treatment."

Use colour with confidence

“Paint is one of the simplest yet most transformative tools at your disposal. A fresh coat in a bold, unexpected tone can bring a forgotten piece back to life.

“Statement chairs in vibrant colours, paired with a coordinating vase or artwork, can shift the dynamic of an entire room. We’re seeing more clients embrace bold colour as a key part of their interiors. Pinterest’s ‘Primary Play’ trend is filtering through, where pure, saturated colours are used in a confident and playful way.”

Some colours Karl recommends exploring this year include:

• Butter Yellow – Great for adding warmth and light to darker corners.

• Tangerine – A punchy accent that enlivens neutral schemes.

• Chocolate Brown – Ideal for grounding a room with richness and depth, especially when applied as a wood stain.

“I would also encourage looking into eco-conscious paint brands that echo the sustainable ethos behind repurposing.”

Texture is everything

“Texture is often overlooked, but it’s essential to making a piece feel tactile, layered, and expensive. It can take a budget item from flat to full of character.

“There are two ways to add texture: by celebrating the natural detail of older pieces or introducing new surface treatments. Solid woods like oak, pine, or beech take beautifully to sanding and staining. Using a stain rather than paint can enhance the grain while introducing colour, it's a great way to celebrate the material’s original beauty.

“If you’re working with flat-pack or veneered furniture, there’s still scope. For example, applying slatted or tongue-and-groove panelling to give depth and interest. It’s a subtle technique that immediately adds architectural detail and can also give the illusion of height when applied vertically to tall cabinets or wardrobes.”

Mix and match materials

“Professional interiors are all about contrast and balance. The same rules apply when repurposing furniture. Combining unexpected materials can make a piece feel more resolved.

“Simple swaps, like replacing wooden handles with polished brass, chrome, or matte black versions, can dramatically change how a piece feels.”

For those with more DIY experience, Karl suggests more involved interventions: “Removing the centre panel of a cabinet door and inserting glass or Perspex can add transparency and lighten the whole look. It’s a technique often used to modernise classic furniture shapes.”

Reimagine the purpose

Want to go one step further? Karl’s favourite tip: completely rethink what a piece of furniture does.

“The most impactful transformations often come when a piece is repurposed beyond its original use. An old door can become a statement headboard. Crates can be stacked into open storage units. A low bench might become a sculptural coffee table. These ideas blur the lines between design and function - and that’s where the magic happens.

“Repurposing isn’t just about saving money or being eco-friendly, though those are valuable outcomes. It’s about storytelling. Every item has a past, and when you repurpose it thoughtfully, you weave its story into your home. That’s what great design is really about - personality, intention, and soul.”
 

How to upcycle like a professional

Barratt London spoke to Saurabh Kalra, co-founder of professional furniture upcycling brand RetroEnterior, who shares his advice on upcycling like the pros. Suarabh has even appeared on the BBC’s One Show, Money for Nothing, and Make it at Market, sharing his expertise as a furniture artist.

Saurabh says: “Many customers bring their old furniture to us because they want to retain it but don't know how to make it align with their interior style.

“Before we begin the upcycling process, we make sure that wood is treated for any sickness, then we strip the existing finish, prime, paint, and redesign as agreed.

“We use various painting techniques while designing like stencil, decoupage using decoupage paper, wallpaper, gold leafing, transfer, raised stencil, moulding etc. Most of the materials we use areeco-friendly to align with our principals.”

Credit: RetroEnteriors

Tips from the pros

“To consider if a piece is worth upcycling, we always check that furniture is not made from MDF or cheap wood. We also check if it's sturdy enough structurally and that there is no intensive wood damage, like wood worm or water damage. Sometimes it's not possible to revive the furniture if there is too much damage. If woodworm damage is too bad then it could also damage other wooden furniture in the house.

“Preparation is also vital. Before starting to paint furniture, it should be cleaned well if you don't plan to sand. Nowadays good bonding primers are available so you don't need to sand before painting.

“While working on furniture, we always use masks, gloves, and safety glasses whenever required. Some old furniture varnish/paint might contain lead which is hazardous to health, so a lead testing kit must be used for old furniture to avoid any health issues.

“How long a piece takes to complete depends on the size, design, condition of the furniture. A normal bedside table can take around two to three days to get ready. In terms of how much you should be spending on your project, again, it depends on the size, design, condition of the furniture. I would say under £60 normally for a bedside table including furniture and materials (some material can be used multiple times).”

Credit: RetroEnteriors

Could upcycling turn a profit?

“We’ve found some really unique pieces for free and sold them for £400 in the past, so there is a lot of potential. It depends on what work is required, the condition of the piece, if the inside needs to be painted and materials involved. “Eventually the cost might seem high to spend on old pieces of furniture, but these options are not available in high street shops. If offered by high street shops, it would be way more expensive. We sell at local markets, through various interior design stores, and through online retailers, such as Etsy and Upcite.

“If you want to get into upcycling, I would recommend investing in: a good sander, mask, safety glasses, cleaning wipes, varnish, a good primer and paint (we use eco friendly primer and paint as it's our mission to reduce carbon footprints), and paint brushes or rollers, stencil/transfer/decoupage paper/decoupage napkins/wallpaper depending on the project.”