As a house-proud nation, we like to invest time and money into our homes, with data showing we spent a whopping £19 billion on furniture and home furnishings in 2023. Much like fashion, interior trends come and go, and many people like to refresh their living space to ensure it doesn’t look dated.
But, with sustainability being at the forefront of many people’s minds, it’s no shock that upcycling furniture and buying pre-loved is on the rise. With 283k searches for ‘upcycling’ over the past month alone, and January always seeing a spike in searches – perhaps due to a post-Christmas focus on sustainability – it’s clear people are interested in upcycling interior products.
That’s why metals expert and Chairman of metals4U, Paul McFadyen has shared some ways to upcycle your interior furniture to give it a new lease of life, as well as different metals you can utilise to refresh interior items.
Bringing life back to your metal furniture
Paul comments: “Many people may have old metal furnishings, such as a steel bed frame or chair – if you want to freshen it up, all you need is some sandpaper and paint. Not only does this save you money, but it means you’re utilising what you already have, living more sustainably.”
Rather than spending £200+ on a new bed frame, TikTok user @thebookishbae87 transformed an old 80s-style brass bed into something more antique-inspired.
Image credit: TikTok
Upcycle your metal objects into fashion-first furniture
In 2025, Pinterest predicts that Gen X and Boomers are expected to lean even more so into sustainable living, meaning they will recycle fashion, create self-sufficient gardens and live an eco-friendly life.
Paul shares his tips on utilising what we already use day to day and how to make them into innovative home furnishings: “Metal barrels and cans can be made into side tables or stools, often just with a lick of paint and cleaning. All you need to do is add a tabletop, and voilà, you have a new individual furniture item. Often you don’t need to look online to purchase a new piece of furniture, you just need to look at the materials that surround you and think outside the box.”
“Don’t forget to rummage through scrap and reclamation yards to source old pieces that still have life left in them. Anything, from old engines to bicycle wheels, can be repurposed as coffee table stands. Creating your own also means you’ll have a unique piece with its own character, rather than the same flatpack furniture everyone else has”
Cop a load of this! Create new items with leftover metals
Getting custom-made shelving built can cost a lot of money, and while it might be built to your specifications, nothing beats creating your own individual shelves from items you’ve reclaimed.
TikTok user @TMWoodcrafts shows how simple it can be to utilise used copper piping to create new shelving units.
Image credit: TikTok
Paul, metals expert from metals4U comments: “Not only does reusing old copper pipes help recycle items that may not have been used otherwise, but it adds another texture and element to your living areas. Combine the copper pipes with a wooden shelf – perhaps an old sleeper beam – or, a new modern shelving unit to fuse the old with new.”
Pick your materials wisely
“Depending on what you want to upcycle, different metals work in different ways and what might work for one project, won’t work for another. For example, when subjected to water elements, copper tarnishes over time, so it might not work best in the bathroom. Try using the following metals in certain scenarios:
Copper – copper is great to add a touch of elegance to furniture and create warmth. Why not try adding smaller accents like drawer handles?
Steel and iron – these sturdy industrial metals are great for structural elements such as legs and frames, especially if you want a raw and organic look
Brass – add vintage hues to your interior with brassware, perfect for use on lighting fixtures
Aluminium – looking to move furniture frequently? Aluminium is perfect as it’s lightweight. It’s also great for a mid-century modern vibe
Galvanised steel – looking to add a weathered look or bring an outdoor feel indoors? Galvanised steel is the answer.
For more information on how you can upcycle your interior using metals, visit https://www.metals4u.co.uk/
