repurposing redefined...

No longer is repurposing limited to creating duct tape wallets or even to fashioning old wine corks into placecard holders, a la Martha Stewart. More and more, the art of repurposing is the difference between good interior design and exceptional interior design.

Many new homes feature expansive foyers, two story family rooms, and other soaring spaces that are the perfect palette for repurposed architectural features from the past. Vintage wooden doors with exquisite molding detail become art. Wrought iron window grills or garden gates give the look of scherenschnitte when positioned against crisp neutral walls. Barn beams with hundreds of years of history may be the perfect addition to a family room ceiling, as in the Wilkinson Builders Model home at Carlton SouthGate. Even smaller details such as vintage glass door knobs, finials, newel posts, and handcrafted brass hardware can have a new life as wall hooks, bookends, and other accent pieces. The real art of repurposing is having the ability to take a look at something that you may have seen hundreds of time, and being able to look at it anew to discover where in your home it may be the item that makes your room really memorable.