Stuff that is just laying around collecting dust in your house has the possibility to be reinvented, with a bit of creativity it can become something else entirely.
So I thought I would give you a tour of the cabin and show you some of my creations and designs:
The pantry
I got these old cable drums from one of my neigbours that lives on the other side of the lake. They were going to throw them out, so I asked if I could take them home.
Christine and I cleaned them up a bit and then used a circular saw to make them fit into the kitchen corner.
And the result became this simple pantry 😊
The kitchen sink
If I was ever going to be able to call this a kitchen it was time to get started on some sort of sink and storage.
This pictures is me trying to figure out a good design and hight. I know it’s not very professional to use a chair to balance the whole thing, but I took what I had at home 😅
And luckily for me I got some leftover planks from replacing the kitchen floor, so I used them and bought some rustic stones as a foundation.
I love experimenting with different elements, and since the whole house is made out of wood I thought it would look good with some ruff stones and stainless steel 😊
I spent days trying to fit everything together. Chopping the stone to the right size was not that easy with just a sledge hammer…haha
After putting up some lights it was finally done and I’m really proud of it. The style fits the cabin perfectly! It feels like it has been a part of the cabin for ages 😊
Building a table
A few days before I turned 30 I realised I actually didn’t own a table, guests were coming and I didn’t have a place to serve them dinner. So my dad came to the rescue, we started designing a table that could fit at least six people.
I had kept the old planks from the kitchen floor, so we used those to create something new.
It’s a bit crooked, but since the whole cabin is tilted it fits right in!
It has become the center piece of the cabin and it feels really good that we didn’t just throw the old floor away, we gave it a new life.
Even tho the table is quite new, it has already created a lot of good memories 😊
Lights
With the help of my mom I created a lamp with a minimalist design.
We used reinforcing bars, big iron hooks and some old ropes that I found in the wood shed.
Then I bought some string lights, and hung them so it looked really randomly, but it fact it’s measured to perfection 🙈
This was some of the projects downstairs. Upstairs is a studio/office and our bedroom, but we’ll save that for a blog post in the future 😉
We are living in strange times right now, some of you might be stuck in isolation or are even out of a job. Maybe this is a opportunity to be creative at home?
If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them, write me a comment down below 😊
9 thoughts on “Don’t buy, reuse!”
Such a great job! I would never think of designing cable drums as a pantry, brilliant! Basically, I love that idea of reusing what it’s already there, getting creative. Not to mention the advantages for the planet 💛
Thank you so much Martyna 😊🙏
I’m glad you like the design, half the fun is to sit down and think of the possibilities. It’s a bit a of a cliche, but the only limitation is your imagination 😊
I love all of these ideas! My favorite is the pantry! I can’t believe how many of those drums I’ve seen in the past by dumpsters. I never would have thought they could turn into something so beautiful. I would definitely love to see more posts on how to repurpose items, thank you so much for all you share with us!
Next time you know better Vee, there are a lot of drums out there 😉
Hi, could you rewrite your previous writinfs in English, please?
Yes, maybe one day 😊
This is amazing how you have taken something that would end up in a landfill and created something useful (and beautiful with it). Are you going to create any videos in the future that show people how to reuse reclaimed materials? We would love to make a dining table like you have (but DIY is more like Destroy It Yourself for us haha)! Thank you for everything you do. You are inspiring me and my husband so much (and I’m sure many other people to). It’s encouraging to see there are people out there like us who want less of the 💩 and more of the living! 😊
Thank you so much ❤ Yes, I’m planning a video like that 😊 I’m so happy you like what I share 🙏
I love upcycling things and enjoyed reading your blog a lot! I have a lot of respect for your rural lifestyle and am very happy for you to see your projects are working out well and you’re gaining more followers day by day. You are a great example and inspiration for me and probably many other ‚small artists’ who wish for making a living with their talents and passion. I’m wishing you lots of success on your further path and am looking forward to hearing/seeing/reading more of you..!
Greetings from Germany, Sarah