The Upcycled Apartment: Giving Salvaged Furniture A Second Life In The City

Living in a big city is an advantage for people who love to furnish or redecorate their apartments. Not only do you get access to some of the best interior design and home decor stores, but you also get to discover amazing finds in vintage shops and local flea markets.

However, if you’re a fan of fast furniture or if you frequently redecorate to suit current trends, that creates a significant amount of waste that ends up clogging landfills. In fact, one study has found that American households threw out 12.1 million tonnes of furniture and furnishings in a single year.

Meanwhile, over 337 cities in China generated 180 to 250 megatonnes of decoration and renovation waste in 2023 alone. With disposal rates drastically accelerating all over the world, it’s recommended to be more mindful when decorating your home, and adopt less wasteful practices, such as salvaging and restoring used furniture.

Rescuing furniture and decoration that’s destined for the trash heap may seem unappealing compared to shopping for brand new items. However, as the saying goes, one person’s trash is another man’s treasure, and there’s always the possibility of finding a truly unique piece that blends with your decor.

Best of all, you get to save money since you’re getting these items for free. If you’re looking to redecorate your city apartment sometime this year, here’s how to give salvaged furniture a second life, as well as ways to legally source used items for your home. 

Curbside Scavenging 101

Curbside scavenging is the easiest and most common way to legally source furniture and decor, but this requires awareness of local laws. Some cities such as Torrance, California and Dearborn, Michigan ban scavenging completely, while others require a special permit to collect waste.

Many cities also give exclusive rights to waste collection companies once items are on the curb, so taking anything can count as petty theft or misdemeanor. If curbside scavenging is banned in your city, look for Buy Nothing groups, Freecycle groups, or curbside alert boards on Facebook since these allow neighbors to swap or give away items that they no longer want or need. 

Meanwhile, if curb picking is allowed in your area, then you need to know the best times or days to go curbside scavenging so you can find good items. First, know when your bulk trash pickup days are since most major cities have designated bulk trash collection days where residents place large furniture like tables, dressers, and chairs on the sidewalk. Go early to get choice picks, and ask a friend to come with you if you’re planning to bring home a large piece of furniture. 

Next, if you live in a college town like Boston, Massachusetts or Austin, Texas, find out when the university’s student population moves out of their dorms or apartments. In these weeks, you’ll find that the streets or curbs outside student housing buildings are littered with bed frames, coffee tables, desks, and other items dumped by their previous owners.

Move-out week typically starts on September 1 in Boston, while key move-out windows in Austin are in mid-May right after the spring finals, as well as the last week of July. 

Be Selective

It’s tempting to take home every nice thing that you come across while curbside scavenging, but it’s important to choose well so you can get useful, high-value items while avoiding pests and hazards.

Take chairs, tables, dressers, and book cases made of solid wood, as well as metal items like wrought iron or aluminum since these can be easily cleaned and restored. Ceramic or terracotta pots and vases are also safe and they can be a great find, especially if they’re antiques or made by local artists.

By all means, avoid taking couches, plush chairs, or mattresses since these can be infested by bed bugs or fleas. You may also want to leave electronics behind since these are usually thrown away because they’re defective. 

Be selective so your decor looks intentional and cohesive. Taking too many pieces of furniture or decorative items in different styles can make your home look cluttered, so think about only taking items that would fit your aesthetic or color scheme.

Tie the whole look together with new wall art or prints, a few potted plants, and a fresh rug to create a room with character, depth, and personal style. 

Sanitize and Restore

Before finding a permanent spot for your scavenged items, make sure to clean and sanitize them thoroughly, then restore as needed. Clean wooden furniture by wiping them down with a microfiber cloth, water, and some mild detergent, then use a second, dry microfiber cloth to wipe the surface and get rid of water marks.

If the piece is made of natural or raw wood, nourish it with a natural oil like linseed oil, or apply beeswax to sealed wood to give it a nice shine. 

To clean metal pieces, scrub them down with warm water and mild dish soap, then wipe them dry. If there’s rust or peeling paint, use a wire brush or scraper to remove paint and rust. Smooth out rough spots with sandpaper, then spray or brush paint with rust-resistant metal paint. 

If you find a plastic table or a few plastic chairs, hose them down thoroughly, then give them a good scrub to get rid of deep-seated grime. As for scavenged pottery and ceramics, gently remove loose dirt with a soft brush, then wash pieces by hand using a soft sponge, warm water, and mild dish soap. 

Give your city apartment a fresh look without harming the environment. Go curbside picking to find amazing pieces for free. With a bit of effort, elbow grease, and a little imagination, anything you bring home can enhance the overall character and charm of your abode.