In this modern world we live in, we seem to get rid of the old and replace for new. Things that have lost their appeal or have gone out of fashion, making way for the new hot style - is it form over function or utility over style?

We now sensibly have to consider the environmental impact, the end of use, cradle to grave and our own carbon footprint?! Do we replace it with a renewable, locally sourced green option or just something that fits the bill?

If one day we wake up and feel that the bedroom or living room is too dull or out dated, should we not first, take a careful look at how we impact the environment with that whimful change of heart?

Up cycling is reusing a raw material such as wood, plastic, glass, metal and fabric. It is basically re-purposing anything as you see fit for another use.

? If any of you have considered the inherent difference between something old and something new, it has to be the quality, especially the durability, strength and weight, Which you can see very noticeably with old vs new timber.

Warping, splitting and shrinking often occurs with rapid grown wood as it is soft. This is one of the reasons why I though this would be an ideal project - Using a raw material of good quality and a purpose for its reuse.

Supplies

An old bed from the millennium era, especially a two piece double divan - some long nose mole grips, hammer, drill, drill bits, wood saw, Stanley Knife, tape measure, a staple gun and glue optional. Spike ( bradawl).

Safety gear - Goggles, Mask and Gloves, an overall or old clothes and a bin bags

Step 1: Preparing the Item for Use

Many steps are involved, especially when dismantling a bed or similar furniture item, because of how it has been constructed. Basically it is a crudely constructed wooden frame that has been upholstered.

From this moment on it is necessary to employ a savvy head, being patient, methodical and having an aim in mind.

Not to mention health and safety, beds can be dusty things but worst of all they are full of staples, big and small so take care. Use some safety gear or at least be wary.

We need to leaver the staples and pull then out. See the first image in this section

Step 2: Preparation Part Continued.

The first Image shows our Donor (Drawer) Section Which we are going to dismantle in order to salvage our wood pieces.

The second Image is the structure that will be reinforcing and turning into a Shelving Unit.

As this was a bed and namely a (double divan) type bed, it was basically two identical pieces, with the exception of the piece opposite end to the head board >which comprised of a drawer section on both sides. This I decided for my purpose, would serve as the donor wood pieces for reinforcing and creating shelving of the other end piece.

As the construction was quite sturdy for its chosen purpose (bed), it is now necessary to reinforce it for its new purpose to hold weight, much more weight that it was designed for. As it's construction is of a crude and rapid build, namely [Glue & Staples] . Pesky little blighters to get out but very doable with a little care and thought.

At this stage patience is a must, a pick or small spike to leaver the smaller staples and a mole grip pliers to pull them out, utilising the curvature of the pliers - take care not to split the wood, though at times it is a tough call.

We will be splitting all the corner and edge joints as cleanly as possible, this is where we need to take particular care in order not to damage yourself or the pieces that we are trying to salvage for the project.

From the images you can see the journey and basically get the picture.

Step 3: Using the Donor Pieces

Gluing and stapling is decent enough for the bed construction because there are two separate pieces covered with a back board [thick card] and then upholstered. Which gives it added rigidity and the applied weight is shared between the two units.

For its new purpose, it is now aligned vertical and in need of reinforcement by adding some additional structure and shelving lats. We will be drilling pilot holes from the side and using screws to clamp the structure together.

So, this is basically where we are going from here - before we can do this however, it is necessary to remove the staples, it is a tedious operation but treating the operation with a methodical head will be the best bet for a positive outcome.

It is necessary to straighten the staples and push them through with a hammer then using the grips leaver them out.

Step 4: Final Construction

Looking at the image, it's now starting to closely resemble something like a shelving unit with a top and lower intermediate shelves with reinforcing provided on the sides and where the shelving lats lay -with [2] layers of cardboard stapled on the back. Vertically stable and able to hold weight.

Project Considerations Pros & Cons

It is important to note that the main outlay and cost has only really been time. Time which by chance, I had a couple of hours over a few days spare and a purpose. - [could be considered a con]......Time is also a valuable commodity.

The materials, screws and staples I already had - the finish was a fleeting consideration that I treated according to its application, addition storage for the garage. [Definitely a big pro], as a small storage unit can be anywhere from 35-100$, plus a transit cost & additional assembly time.

Environmental /Carbon foot print considerations have been met, as something has not had to travel a distance, or had to be land-filled and has created much waste. [A big pro].

Everything from here is really down to you to consider what the application will be, for using any particular raw material found in old furniture products, very much like re-purposing a transportation pallet.

Please Enjoy & Consider the possibilities before you next decide to junk something..........:-)