Nothing short of a complete annoyance for some, and an absolute godsend for others, the trend of re-purposing old items to use around the house for that rustic look still has plenty of juice. Of course, while many crafty individuals have found their local scene a great place to get a start with this old-school look, larger companies have also jumped on board. As they tend to do, this means a wider selection of old trash being used as if it is treasure. While you may not understand why this style is so “in” right now, you might want to open yourself to the possibilities, because companies like Anthropologie are showing just how creative you can get when turning trash to treasure.
In case you have been living in a rock for the past few years, one of the biggest trends right now is to take old, rustic pieces and use them as a sort of artistic statement around the house. Even weddings have been taken over by this bug, with brides opting to hold their event in a barn rather than a church. Often times, this means taking something that is old and discarded, sometimes a piece that is actually rusting, and using it as a table, chairs, desk or any other piece of furniture. Even new restaurants are embracing this trend by leaving exposed ceilings, giving a much more industrial feel to the place.
Of course, few companies are coordinating this effort better than Anthropologie, which has been taking advantage of this trend to turn a nice profit by making trash into treasure. In fact, they literally sell trash cans like their West Village Corrugated Can so that people can get that old rustic feel going on right in their home. But it doesn’t stop there, as this is not just meant to collect trash. Instead, you might want to use it as an accent piece, buy a couple to make end tables of sorts, or just about anything else you might imagine. While years ago someone might have looked at this and seen only a rusty old trash can, today it sells for almost $50 (and at one point for three times that much).
Of course, if you live in a trendy city, you likely have already discovered that you don’t have to be a major company to take advantage of this trend. Instead, many indie artists are turning towards this rustic style as a way to get their own small business going. Reusing old palates from a grocery store, making items from burlap, creating jewelry using old railroad pieces or decorating walls with rusty prospecting tools. Really, there seems to be no limit to the amount of trash you can re-purpose and sell as treasure today.