Reusing found objects easily updates outdoor living spaces

My "new" porch—including the "rescued" couch!

Sarah Nicoli | Contributor

Everybody’s buzzing about it. Wanting to throw their careers away and jump on the bandwagon. Wanting to join the hunt, the ultimate quest, the grand pursuit of … finding the perfect OBJECT. A "piece" with a story.

What am I talking about, you say? Well, "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers,"Â of course. You know the saying, after all, that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. People are going crazy over old objects—things with tales to tell and, seemingly, souls of their own. These two hot new shows on the History Channel are capitalizing on this long dormant trend.

Me? I've been a "picker" my whole adult life and I love it!

Especially in this economy, reusing found objects is an inexpensive and easy way to update your home. And, if you’re not so readily inclined, I’m here to tell you that it really can be fun—and you don’t need to be particularly crafty. All that’s required is that you use a little ingenuity and some elbow grease.

My house is full of objects and furniture from all over the world from the curbside of my neighborhood and from our very own Treasure Mart here in Ann Arbor to the markets of Nepal and Morocco.

This summer, my “furniture rescue” projects have focused on the outside living part of my home. It has been so much fun to pull all these spaces together, with a little updating to the furnishings.

First project—I’ve been dying to redo my screened-in porch for years. I hated that old red Pier 1 wicker I bought more than 10 years ago. I also had this old wooden couch that was a nighttime, curbside rescue before garbage day. (My husband still gives me grief about getting him out of bed to go retrieve it!)

Alas, what I wanted to replace it all with was (of course) WAY too expensive for the budget this summer.

So, for a trip to the paint store for paint and a spray gun (total $140) and a drive up to the Pottery Barn outlet at Birch Run ($357 for all new pillows and a FAB new sea grass rug …plus gas money), I wound up with a whole new look for under $500. Since this porch is my family’s all-time favorite hangout in the summer, it was money well spent, for sure.

We weren't quite sure what it once was ...

Sarah Nicoli | Contributor

My other really fun and easy project was dismantling what we dubbed “the bird cage” because we really didn’t know what else to call it when I rescued it from the curb. (If my neighbor Diane is reading this, please let me know…!)

I turned it, from whatever it was, into a new table to fit perfectly into the corner by my backdoor. It was easy; a little chiseling, a little funky spray paint and a new piece of glass from Wolverine Moore Glass in Dexter. (By the way, this a local merchant I would gladly frequent as necessary—they are SO nice there!) Now, that space is livened up--with a splash of color added to an otherwise ho-hum area. I also now have a place to put service items if I need to for entertaining.

... but we know now.

Sarah Nicoli | Contributor

Have any great "picker" tales of your own? Please share your furniture rescue stories…to inspire others to do the same or just share your satisfaction in making your space a better place!

Sarah Nicoli is founder and owner of dotmine day planners, the fashion meets function dayplanners, based in Ann Arbor. She wants you to remember that, sometimes, mindless hunting + opportune rescue = happier spaces.
You can reach her at snicoli@timemine.com.