How to Make Used Furniture New With a Simple Paint Job

If you've got old paint in your home, keep your eyes on the streets.

Paint is really tough to get rid of. I once published a piece here on Planet Green on general rules for getting rid of paint and I can testify from personal experience: it's not easy. My philosophy on paint is that it should never be thrown away or washed down a drain. Too many people out there are buying new paint while many people are trying to figure out how to get rid of the extra paint they already have. If you've got extra paint around your house and aren't sure what to do with it, my suggestion is to keep your eyes out for good furniture finds on the street. Furniture on the street is old news in big cities, but even in the small town in Ohio where I grew up, it wasn't out of the ordinary to spot a chair or table here and there.

My roommate recently spotted this very patriotic, yet ugly, bookshelf on the street. He knew I had extra eco-friendly paint from my recent bedroom renovation and we carried it home together. With just a little bit of T.L.C., I turned this street find into a welcomed addition to our living room.

How to revamp furniture from the street with extra paint:

Locate your furniture. If you're on a mission to find something good, take note of what night garbage is picked up in your town. Go for a walk in your neighborhood before the garbage is picked up and you might be impressed with what you find.

Wash it down. My bookshelf, although structurally cool, was layered in dust and dirt. I found it on the street in Queens, after all. Warm water, eco-friendly soap, and a cloth should work for this. If you're having problems removing dirt, try using vinegar.

Locate your extra paint. A little can go a long way with furniture. In the worst case scenario (you run out of paint), you'll have a rustic-country-western paint job, right? (Scarce paint job = rustic-country-western paint job in my book).

Paint your street-find. Allow for it to dry and then make it your own. Enjoy! One reason why this project is so great is because your new piece of furniture can go perfectly into the room you recently painted or help the color pallet of your home run smoothly room to room. It's a great way to save something from going into the landfill and to get rid of your extra paint in the greenest way possible (by using it).