Monday 16 May 2011

Reduce, Reuse, Rescue!

In our hometown we have a store called the "Architectural Clearing House" which is a compilation of reclaimed building parts from houses and buildings that have been demolished.  There are rows upon rows of old doors, plumbing pieces, handles, old porcelain toilets, windows, the list goes on and on.  In an attempt to get people to reuse these items that would have normally gone to the dump, they are offered at very low prices...like a whole window for $15.



My husband and I bought a house that was built in 1968, and thus, had the interior of a house built in 1968.  The previous owners (an older couple) left it in its original format, in all its' retro glory.  When my husband and I moved in, we gave the house an overhaul, but parts of the old form still remain, waiting patiently for their turn to be updated.

Having an eclectic style and a knack for DIY projects, my husband decided that this weekend it was time to tackle the dreaded diamond divider.


While a nice piece in its day, it no longer fits into our plans for the house as WE see it; this is where the Architectural Clearing House comes in.  In our meandering up and down the aisles of this junk wonderland, we happened across a rustic old window painted a fascinating green on one side, and a demure brown on the other:


My husband, being the handy guy he is, cleaned the window with vinegar (worked like a CHARM!), removed the dreaded diamonds, and worked some sort of system to suspend this window in their place.  The result was a fun new look for our divider!  The green is an accent colour in other aspects of the house, so it adds a nice punch of colour to the area. 


All in all it was a simple, successful update to our dated divider, and we were able to rescue an old window from its landfill demise! 

What do you think of the update?  Have you done any upcycling DIY projects in your house?  Share below!

2 comments:

  1. I absolutely LOVE this!! Great work you guys! I can't wait to see it in real life!

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  2. It looks really nice, you guys did a GREAT job!

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