You may be aware of the term redesign and assume it means to design again. In the world of home interiors, think of redesign as green design. It’s green, as in saving the planet - and green as in saving you money. I’m passionate about redesign for these reasons and many more. Redesign is the focus of my business, and I’d love to share why it’s such an important part of my life and why I think it could be an important part of yours, as well.

The practice of reusing things—over and over again is at the core of redesign.

The more reuses - the merrier. It fills me with pride to pick up a vase to repaint it knowing there are seven previous colors underneath.

You can repurpose your own stuff or other people’s stuff. You can change the look of something or even its function. For example, I converted a thrift store armoire into an entertainment center that I love.

There’s a lot of waste in today’s world and nothing feels better than NOT wasting things by uncovering their potential for beauty, value and joy.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU’LL ACCOMPLISH WITH REDESIGN:

1. Give new life to items that have been tossed aside:
You’ll take discarded items and give them new purpose.

2. Make your piggy bank happy:
You’ll save money because discarded items are free and used items generally cost less.

3. Enjoy the hunt:
You’ll get the fun of the treasure hunt—poking around and people watching with your friends at flea markets, garage sales, antique and thrift stores

4. Be different:
You’ll find unique items, and you’ll be able to make your home come to life with things you love that aren’t found everywhere else. Instead of buying trendy decor, use redesign and get the opportunity to create your own personal style. Our culture tries to push us toward sameness. Redesign is for us rebels!

5. Find pride in your projects:
You’ll get the joy of taking an unused item, and by giving it some love, care and attention, you can repurpose it and display it with pride for all to enjoy (and your pride will be greater knowing that reusing items means reducing landfills!)

Besides all of the practical reasons above to embrace redesign, if you’re like me you’ll find that redesign gets you in touch with something deeper within yourself and the world around you. It may sound corny, but I have feelings of respect for the items I save, and I have great respect for people who practice the art of restoration in all its forms. They do good work and I’d like to think in some way the universe respects them back.

This little beauty was found by the dumpster in my daughter's apartment complex. After sanding and refinishing it, it turned into the cutest little patio table. Cost? $0. I had everything on hand that I needed. 

Redesign means many things to many people. In my little corner of the design world, redesign means a wonderful collection of “re” words: reuse, repurpose, restore, recycle, reinvest, recover, refinish, repair, and one of my favorites: reimagine. Some say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope you join me and make redesign a habit.

Now, what will you do next to love where you live?