The Use What You Own Trend

2025 Interior Design trends say “Move over microtrend, Target design aisle, here today, gone next month home goods - Authenticity in design, layering personal finds, and vintage aesthetics is now the new design darling.

Embracing what you already have, up-styling vintage, creating a one-of-kind personalized style, and loving what you inherited is at the forefront of this year’s style profile.

• Home dwellers are creating homes that reflect personal stories and values.

• Old is now New - meaningful objects with sentimental value or cultural significance layered within in the home to spark conversation, express identity, and create micro-havens within a home (i.e.. readying nook)

I personally think that the whole vintage re-imagined came out of the Pandemic when logistics prevented us from buying new. Using or reinventing what you have, shopping pre-owned, and scouring thrift shops isn’t a new discovery, all these sources have been right around us all along, just forgotten because for decades ‘fast and new’ has been the mantra.

Celebrate it, use it, restyle it and make it your own.  

JOIN me this Wednesday, April 2nd at the Orland Park Public Library for a “Use What You Own” workshop 6:30pm. Register here -

INTERIOR DECORAITNG WORKSHOP

Head over to Orland Park Library 4/2/2025

THE USE WHAT YOU OWN AESTHIC

Nana’s plastic encased sofa has a timeless style and it’s vintage craftmanship towers over today’s fast fashion made version. Scoop that treasure up and have it reinvented to create a personalized, unique piece that can be a showcase of a space.

Photo: (source).

Old silver-plate serving pieces are collected and displayed on a wall of a bedroom to create a unique focal point.

Photo: BHG

One of my clients was struggling with her husband's gifted grandparent's dining set. They really wanted to honor it in the dining room, but the dark wood wasn't appealing and the table wasn't going to work with daily use.  The restyle solution was to purchase a new table and have the rest of the set painted to match.  The celebrate what you have result is the perfect mix of old and new. And the big bonus is they now get to love that set as much as his Grandparents did.

Have an old chair with in good condition fabric, but in a less than desirable color? YES, you can paint it. At my direction, my client painted his Mom’s accent chair with a new hue using chalk paint.

YOU CAN PAINT YOUR ULPHOLSTERY!

Reinvent an old piece with a fresh coat of paint - in this case, fabric!

Why not get ready every morning in vintage style and maybe a wink and nod to Mom with a lovely vanity vignette of your makeup necessities organized in old silver serving pieces.

Photo: (source)

Don't haul that old sofa, chair or ottoman out to the curb - instead, have it reupholstered. If you have a vintage piece of furniture that you just love, it’s comfy, just the right size and it’s made fantastic - reinvent it instead.

Have a sofa you just love and is just right for a space? Reinvent it.

Great pieces in your home, like these accent chairs, can be reupholstered and refreshed.

Aunt Millie's tea cup collection boxed in tissue somewhere?  Unwrap them, head over to a craft store and cook up a batch of wax to make them into candles. They'll warm your heart with their romantic flicker on your sofa's end table as you settle in for the evening.

Photo: (source)

Transform an antique photo of your heritage with a blown-up image updated in a wrapped canvas technique. Add a few more in various sizes to create an unique gallery wall.

Photo: (source).

I'd love to know what you have done with your old stuff!

Everything Old is New Again - Home Styling Makeovers

From paint company trend forecasts, to our favorite home décor magazines - the new decorating tune is "Everything old is new again."  With décor buzz words such as coastal grandmother, maximalist, cottage core, heritage, artisan, and the ever present farmhouse style - It's time to take a new look at our old stuff!   

Heirloom Design Trend and Color Palette (Photo: Benjamin Moore)

It's so yesterday to announce that your home is filled with all brand new.  Open any home magazine today and there is feature after feature about repurposing furniture, shopping flea markets and decorating with vintage finds.  Wouldn't it be refreshing not to have to run to retail to solve your decorating dilemmas?

What if you could get a new room using the stuff you already have?  

You can!

Welcome to a new era of interior decorating and design for the times. 

“Gone are the days when a fancy suited designer would sweep into your home declaring, “Darling - Everything must go!”  All new is now a ‘No-No’. ”

— Julea Joseph

In these belt tightening, environmentally conscious times;  team Reinventing Space are home styling wunderkinds that sweep through your home and within a day, reposition, re-hang and redisplay your furniture, art and accessories. Stylishly arranging your space with a pizazz and a wow factor worthy of a magazine cover and hunting your home to see what treasures you've squirreled away that can be displayed.  Accessories, furniture and other finds that you just didn't know what to do with, may end up as the fabulous finishing touch to a perfect new room!    

One Day Home Styling - Living Room Makeover (Photo: Reinventing Space)

 And our talents aren't sequestered to arranging your stuff;  we are all about up cycling and reinventing your wares. We informatively suggest how your beloved, comfy, but tired sofa would be a wonder with a new fabric wardrobe and some upholsterer’s love, how to turn that unused old TV armoire into a bar, or with a new hue, that old chest of drawers from Aunt Milly would be showstopper for your foyer. We are pros, clever and creative.  After the room makeover we leave you a "let's chat list" with more ideas, items to further complete the space, or pieces that may have seen better days.

Loved sofa reinvention. Home reupholster (Photo: Reinventing Space)

Why a Home Styling Makeover  is a must for your space now. 

• Money - Since the concept of a home styling makeover is based on us­ing what you already own, there is an immediate savings.  Because there are so many variables, fees are based on your specific scope of work, but most makeovers cost less than what you would pay for a single piece of new furniture.

• Time - The makeover typically takes between three and seven hours, whereas conventional redecoration methods can take weeks of making selections, ordering and then waiting for delivery of your new furnishings. When you have a room makeover performed, plan on entertaining your friends and family the very same evening in your fabulous "new" home!

• Comfort-In addition to the pleasure of being surrounded by familiar objects that you know and love, gone is the anxiety that comes from purchasing "NEW" and wondering if it will "WORK" once you get it home (or ever get it delivered with COVID induced logistical issues)  Your past purchases have been validated, your collections beautifully displayed and your heirlooms celebrated. We artfully transform your belongings into a picture perfect setting, instantly.

• What if my furnishings don't match, can I still have a great looking home? -Absolutely! Whether it's a certain element of color or style, there is generally a com­mon thread that runs through every home. The advantage of a room makeover is having a trained and objective eye to pull it together. Once your furnishings have been properly placed and accessorized, you will once again fall in love with all your wonderful choices!

• Am I Ready for a room makeover day? - We begin with our complimentary virtual evaluation. .  We’ll discuss your goals, priorities and challenges for your rooms.  After a tour of your home,  we’ll quote you a per room price for the makeover and schedule a date for the Home Styling Makeover.

So, if you're ready to make your home your own, celebrate what you already have, finally pull together your rooms, and have a space that is a one-of-a-kind - Call/Text us today 708-543-8597 or pop us an email at Julea@Julea.com