One of my favorite things to do is to scour the internet for bright ideas and beautiful objects. Sometimes the two are the same: for me there is nothing more inspiring than someone who has the vision to take a beautiful object and use it in an unusual way. In a way that makes me think “that is perfectly out of place. I wish I had thought of that.”
I wanted to share with you, in no particular order, some of the cute, creative and inspired ways that people have used ordinary household accessories in sometimes extraordinary ways.
THE LADDER
The photo below is a charming way to use a ladder in a bedroom to display a beloved collection of high heels. I suspect the idea may have come from a clever display in a shoe store, something like the image on the right. In fact, that is a great way to get creative ideas for your home: designers and store owners often put great thought into how they display their wares.
Use a ladder to climb? Nonsense! Why not use it to display your shoes?
These ladders have the feeling of a vintage find and they make a wonderful display for a shoe collection, whether in a store or in your home. Photos L-R from Pinterest
A ladder for linens? Why not?
The decorator in the image below saw a ladder as a way to display handtowels / linens. It certainly adds charm to the room—and in an extremely practical way.
Why not use a ladder as a towel rack. In this shabby-chic version, the ladder adds a farmhouse feeling to the room. Image found on Pinterest.
A third bright idea for the household ladder: use it to hang your clothing. If you don’t have a wardrobe or closet you can use a brightly-painted ladder to create a conversation piece that also solves the problem of where to hang your clothing.
This clever use of a ladder turns it into a replacement for a clothing rack. The bright color is both bold and fun. Image found on Pinterest
THE FOOTSTOOL
This is one of my favorites: the stool as table. In fact, in a previous post on accent furniture I give several examples of how to use a stool, or other small furniture, as the accent that makes the statement.
The collection of rustic stools in the image above are collected together to replace a coffee table—and the result adds warmth and a personal touch to an otherwise very clean, modern living space. Photo found on Houseorhome.net.
Three mismatched pieces continue the “more is more” trend in this living room. The bright sofa, brighter carpet and completely unrelated accent furniture called into play as small tables are the hallmark of a fearless decorator with a humorous touch. Photo found on Imactoy.com
These hand woven hourglass rattan stools from Kouboo.com make a perfect landing place for a magazine or a cup of tea. Photo © Kouboo.com LLC
THE BEDSIDE TABLE RE-IMAGINED
This bedroom receives a fresh look with the whitewashed-boards used for a headboard along with logs as a place for fresh flowers and a book. What a clever way to turn an ordinary bedside table into something extraordinary. Photo found on Pinterest.
This light and airy room has a dash of whimsy thanks to the old phone table painted white and reimagined as a bedside table. Very clever. Photo found on Pinterest.
In this clever staging by bed-linen company Parachute Home, a chair is set next to a bed in place of a bedside table. Photo © Parachute Home
OTHER CHARMING PIECES THAT ARE PERFECTLY OUT OF PLACE
Creativity can extend to some truly unusual ways to re-purpose ordinary objects in your home.
I love the idea of taking a tray for silverware and using it to organize your other possessions too. It’s fun and it doesn’t hurt that it’s much more attractive than most of the mundane places that we drop our keys and sunglasses when we walk in the door. Photo © Kouboo.com LLC
This idea, found on Pinterest, is one of the most delightful do-it-yourself projects that I have seen in a long time: old silver spoons that were flattened, bent, hand stamped with family names and turned into a personalized coat rack. Brilliant. Photo found on Pinterest
Try an experiment yourself: look at one item in your household that has a very basic function and then brainstorm three to five different ways you might use it instead. You just might hit on something brilliant. Then please share your best ideas with us!
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