How to transform your space using existing furniture

Fancy giving your home a fresh look without spending a fortune on new furniture? You're in luck! We're about to share the secrets of styling and reusing your existing pieces.

So whether you're settling into a new home whilst on a budget or just itching for a change in your current space, our design experts have the best tips to help you repurpose what you already own. Get ready to transform your home without breaking the bank!

Want to transform your space without breaking the bank? Book your room design today from just £395:

1. Don't ignore colour

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

If you're not particularly fond of the shade of your existing piece, it's tempting to overlook it and opt for a completely different colour scheme. However, ignoring its colour can actually make it stand out more! Instead, try incorporating its shade into your design to blend it seamlessly into your space.

And don't worry, we’re not saying the colour of that piece has to dominate the entire scheme. Just infuse it subtly. For instance, if your sofa is blue, like the one above, you can introduce blue tones with smaller accessories, like we did with the pillow, vase and candle.

This way, you can go all out with your preferred colours on the walls and with bigger pieces like accent armchairs and rugs, but still tie in your existing pieces to create a beautifully cohesive space.

2. Shake up the layout

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

When we picture a dream space in our minds, it's often difficult to get past the initial layout we have imagined, especially in rooms with larger furniture like the living room or bedroom. 

For instance, you may imagine your bed placed against the centre of the back wall, opposite your wardrobe with perhaps an armchair in the corner, but when you pull all of the existing pieces into this particular layout, it may not work out quite as well as you think.

Instead, remain open minded, trying out as many different layouts as possible or perhaps even drawing them up on a piece of paper, this way you can discover which layout works out best for your existing pieces.

Wondering how we can incorporate your existing furniture into a stunning room design? Book a call with one of our experts to find out more:

3. Swap out textiles

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

It's all in the styling when it comes to working with existing pieces to transform your space. So, it may be time to say hello to new textiles!

Think of your bed, sofa, and tables as the foundations of your room—they're just waiting to be built upon to create a space that truly feels like you.

Existing dining and coffee tables can also be personalised to suit your space's new look. Try incorporating table runners and mats as well as adding some throws and cushions onto those dining chairs, all of which will create a stunning, dynamic space, drawing attention away from those existing furnishings.

4. Introduce new accessories

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

Sometimes, all your room needs is a bit of bling. Introduce new finishing touches like stylish lamps, chic vases, or eye-catching art pieces to jazz up your existing furniture. It's like adding the perfect jewellery to a classic outfit—suddenly, everything pops!

Reuse that old coffee table or ottoman by placing an elegant tray and styling it with accessories like candles, beautiful books, succulents, vases and coasters - bringing the interest away from the existing piece and to the décor instead.

Lighting is also your best friend for styling existing pieces, it is amazing how much a layered lighting look can transform a space. Dot around some striking table, floor and wall lamps to instantly enhance your space and draw eyes away from the furniture you're reusing.

Don't want to splash out on all-new lighting? Simply swapping out your lamp shades will have a drastic effect at a margin of the cost!

Curious how our designers pull together beautifully cohesive, yet dynamic spaces? See more of our designs, here:

5. Mix and match furniture

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room 

Matchy-matchy is out, and eclectic is in! Because who says you have to stick to one style? Mixing and matching your existing furniture with new, eclectic pieces can create a space that's uniquely you.

Throw in that vintage chair with your modern sofa, or pair your sleek coffee table with a rustic lamp - the design world is your oyster!

Worried your home might look more like a design disaster? Don’t fret! We have a few rules to help you turn your home into a beautiful, eclectic masterpiece.

Start by finding a common thread among your pieces. Choose items from the same colour family, like warm naturals or refreshing pastels. Or keep materials consistent, ensuring each piece incorporates a touch of wood or a specific metal. You can also harmonise patterns, opting for perhaps geometric or botanical themes to make everything effortlessly work together.

Another trick from our designers is the trusty 70/30 rule: make 70% of your space one design style, like mid-century or boho, and then go wild with the other 30%. Introduce new pieces that speak to you and shake up your existing furniture.

6. Get your DIY on

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

There’s a lot you can do to make your existing furniture feel brand new, and all it takes is a couple of hours and a few handy tools!

Want to add a personal touch to that side table or cabinet? Swap out the handles to match your vibe. Going for a modern look? Opt for sleek, handles. Prefer something more traditional? Try out some antique brass knobs.

You can do the same with your accent coffee table. If you’ve got new sofas and realized the coffee table height doesn’t quite work, just swap out the legs for something that fits better. This trick works for any table—turn that coffee table into a taller two-person dining table or convert a TV cabinet into a dressing table.

Paint is another super affordable way to repurpose your existing pieces. If you’re switching up your home’s colour scheme, why not give those furnishings a fresh lick of paint too?

Curious about other ways you can repurpose your existing furniture? Check out our dedicated blog on Upcycling ideas and tips.

Need help bringing the old and the new seamlessly together? Let our Interior Designers do the hard work for you by booking a room design from just £395!

How our designers styled these existing sofas

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

A misconception when hiring an Interior Designer is that you have to buy all new furniture. At My Bespoke Room, this is far from the truth, in fact we work existing pieces into designs all the time!

Take this swoon-worthy, neutral living room as an example. The client had already purchased two sofas for the space and brought us in to transform the rest of the space. Working with the client, we embraced the neutral, transitional aesthetic that suited the sofas perfectly.

We complemented this style and colour scheme with soft natural shades like sage and blush pink, as well as using botanical patterns to bring the outdoors in.

Bringing everything together with house plants, a rug, a couple of armchairs in a similar shade and natural marble and wood tables, the whole room became a cohesive masterpiece, working in the existing sofas beautifully.

How we created a gallery wall with existing artwork

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

When moving into their new home, the owners of this space wanted to include a TV in the open-plan kitchen but worried it might stick out like a sore thumb.

Instead, they cleverly purchased a Samsung Frame TV and used artwork they already owned to create a gallery wall, discreetly hiding the TV when it's not in use.

Choosing an image for the TV that matched the abstract styles and monochrome colours of the artwork, the TV blended effortlessly with the existing pieces.

To create a gallery wall with your existing artwork, start by laying out all the pieces on the floor. Play around with the layout and swap pieces in and out until you find the perfect arrangement. If your artwork has different styles and colour schemes, try using matching frames to create a cohesive look that ties everything together.

Our Interior Designers are the total pros at blending pieces to give your space the total wow-factor. Get started transforming your home today:

Switching up a colour scheme without breaking the bank

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

Growing tired of your colour scheme doesn't mean you have to splash out on a whole load of new furnishings. One of our designers achieved this perfectly in their own home.

Interior Designer, Nardus, want to switch up the blue and yellow for a slightly warmer blue and pink scheme whilst keeping pieces like the sofa, coffee table side tables and geometric wallpaper.

By swapping out a yellow accent armchair for two pink ones, adding a few pink pillows, and including wall art and a rug that captured the blue, grey, and pink shades, Nardus completely refreshed the colour scheme without spending a fortune and keeping a lot of his existing furniture.

Curious how we can help you with your space? Book a free call with one of our experts to find out!