Eco-Conscious Living and Design

Much like many of you, us ladies of Brass Tacks are continuously looking for ways to reduce our imprint on this earth. Everything from trying not to use straws, using reusable bags at the grocery store, and cutting back on our plastic bag usage.

But the one thing we are really proud of is our commitment to reclaiming used furniture to transform into beautiful pieces for your home. Here are our five eco-friendly reasons to look twice at that old outdated furniture piece in your home and consider a re-vamp before purchasing new.

1. Better Built

Many of the pieces you'll find in stores today won't have dovetailed drawers, be solid wood, or last a year+. Many reclaimed pieces have already stood the test of time. They may have scratches, dings/dents, and outdated finishes; but these are all things that can be rectified with a new make over!

Our top things to look for when reclaiming or refinishing an older piece of furniture include:

Dove Tailed Drawers Cool body lines and details Solid Wood Structures

2. Friendly on your Wallet

Next time you are shopping for a new piece of furniture for your home, take a second to compare the price you would pay for a refinished second hand piece. You may be surprised to find that you'll pay a fraction of the price for a quality piece of used furniture. With the right piece, you can have it refinished EXACTLY as you wish.........why would you look else where?

The Brass Tacks refinished table cost our customer less than a 1/4 the price of the pottery barn table.

3. You'll be Keeping more Trash Out of the Landfill

Let's say you go and buy that quick to get, affordable piece of furniture. How long will it last you? Maybe 1-4 years tops? Then if it starts falling apart, it ends up in the landfill. That's just the beginning of an ugly and wasteful furniture cycle. Now imagine instead, you invest a little time and a possibly a little more money into a sturdy, well made, reclaimed piece of furniture. This piece could last you your entire life. Your kids kids might still use it!! This is the beauty of reclaimed and refinished furniture - it can last FOREVER!!

4. Furniture with Meaning

Take a look around at the furniture pieces you or family members already have, but may not be utilizing. Chances are there is some great potential there and how great would it be to have a piece in your home that was your parents, grandparents, or great grandparents? My personal favorite pieces in my home are ones that have been owned previously by my family members. There is this amazing bench in my entry way that my grandparents salvaged from a closing convent my great aunt was at.

There are these matching lawyer cabinets that are a part of every memory of being in my grandma and grandpa's home as a child, and this desk that was in my husbands grandparent's basement.

5. Old is New Again

You may have noticed but what was once old, always comes back into fashion again. Everything from those Mid Century Modern style dressers, to antique tables, and vintage chairs. From a Vogue article I recently read online "Sustainability is on everyone's mind. Top trendsetters aren't using plastics or synthetics, but reclaimed materials and even second-hand pieces. Call it eco-conscious chic." Here are some of our FAVORITE before and after vintage pieces that could go in any modern day home!