People usually think about the idea of out with the old and in with the new, but there is a different alternative. Taking something old and re-purposing it makes it something new entirely. Re-purposing breathes new life into something that you have owned a long time. Also, making something look new or have a new purpose saves you money since you do not have to actually buy anything new.
There are many different ways to re-purpose furniture and design pieces for your home. You can take a step ladder and use it as a shelving unit. You can use a cook pan as a magnetic memo holder. You can even use an old headboard as a hanging rack for coats or towels. The simplest way to re-purpose something is with a fresh coat of paint and one type of paint has become extremely popular over the years.
Chalkboard paint can be used in so many ways in a home, and every way adds new life to a room. Chalkboard paint was first mainly used on walls to allow for creativity to be shown and changed at any time. However, chalkboard paint is now being used on furniture and storage tins. I have also seen this kind of paint used on refrigerators to add style and it creates a fun and easier way to write a grocery list. The best thing is that chalkboard paint now comes in many beautiful colors as well.
Another great way to re-purpose furniture is decoupaging. Decoupage is easy to do because you are gluing paper cutouts onto the furniture. Decoupage hides any imperfections that old dressers, tables, and shelves have. Many people like to use book pages, maps, letters, postcards, and sheets of music on the old furniture. Using decoupage to re-purpose the old or damaged furniture, brings new dimension and style to the furniture and also to the room. 
These are only a few ways to re-purpose old furniture and decorative items in a home. Please use your creativity to add new style to old pieces of your home so you can still keep them.