If you've ever wondered what to do with furniture that's lost its luster, think twice before kicking it to the curb. Below, three easy resources for giving dilapidated decor new life.
Chairloom Third-generation reupholsterer Molly Andrews, owner of the adorable Pennsylvania-based company Chairloom, transforms heirloom pieces into contemporary furniture with wonderfully quirky textiles. Send her an old wingback chair or sofa or pick a vintage settee or ottoman ($200 to $3,000) from her site and she'll reinvent it with a fresh checkered or zigzag fabric. Custom orders start at $450.
Prettypegs At long last, there's an alternative to the clunky legs that bolster Ikea's love seats and beds. Prettypegs sells a wide array of bright, artfully designed bases (including a set modeled after Alexander McQueen's famed armadillo shoes) that easily screw into the bottoms of Ikea furniture and make these mass-market pieces look anything but.
Chalk Paint Here to help you salvage that decrepit armoire--and give you an incentive to hit the flea market for antique finds--is Annie Sloan. The British designer's chalk paint ($35 a quart) gives both old and new furniture a shabby-chic, timeworn finish (no sanding, stripping or priming required).
