Repurposed vintage suitcases have been the topic of many blog posts here on Poetic Home, such as my original repurposed luggage filing cabinet and other suitcase upcycling ideas.   In helping Nicole, a Poetic Home reader, redesign her bedroom in an “Anthropologie” style, I began to brainstorm chic, creative, and bohemian nightstand ideas that were also budget friendly.  Naturally, repurposed suitcase nightstands came to mind!

In my former home in San Diego, I simply stacked four vintage suitcases to be a neutral but creative end table in my living room.   I added a piece of glass to the very top suitcase to make it suitable for holding drinks (after the fan found a new home through my Etsy shop).

These are Louis Vuitton suitcases stacked to be a most luxurious repurposed suitcase nightstand, as photographed by Victoria Pearson in House Beautiful.    Wouldn’t these look gorgeous in a dashing gentleman’s quarter?

Fernseed took a director’s chair bottom and topped it with a vintage suitcase to create a repurposed nightstand that would fit well for both him and her.

Angels in the Architecture transformed a simple suitcase from the 1960s with spray paint and the legs of an Ikea laptop stand to create this mod chic repurposed side table.  I love the spunk of this one!

This is the project by SongBird that launched a thousand painted suitcase sidetables.  It’s still every bit as lovely and ingenious!

In a similar vein, A Beach Cottage painted two mismatched vintage luggage pieces to create a chic nightstand.

Love Nostalgic Whimsy created a truly eco-friendly nightstand using reclaimed pallets and a vintage suitcase.

The rainbow delight that is this repurposed suitcase sidetable is the lovely creation of Shrimp Salad Circus, who simply bolted the brightly colored luggage pieces together.

If you have repurposed any suitcase pieces, I would LOVE to hear about it and possibly feature it here on Poetic Home!

It’s time for another installment of affordable Anthropologie inspired ideas, and today, let’s take a peek at their wanderlust beds that one could easily DIY.  The best part is that while these Anthropologie beds are crafted to look worn and upcycled, I believe it’s far more rewarding, personalized, and unique to find pieces to repurpose.  Enjoy!

The Marigold Bed may have rosettes as accents, but it also sports a price tag of $1000 – $1500.  I always see brass or metal beds on Craigslist that have the same shape, but only cost anywhere from $50 – $150.  Even the older true brass beds on eBay have buy-it-nows of only $500.  With a can of spray paint, you can enjoy your own version in whatever hue suits your bedroom best. The money you save could be spent on luxury beds from Silentnight!

When I was visiting Detroit last year, I saw heaps and heaps of cogs from abandoned factories that could be nearly identical to Anthropologie’s Hushed Hours Bed.  You can also find old factory cogs at various antique fairs across the country, and I have a feeling it won’t set you back $2500!

Now this bed is what lovely dreams frolicking through the forest are made of!  Be on the lookout as I replicate the Forest Canopy Bed look with real fallen trees from a forest nearby my home (and perhaps coaxing a Hawaiian wedding flower plant’s real vines to embrace the branches…imagine the sweet smell lulling one to sleep) — and the price tag will be free, rather than $5500!

Why buy a Gate Headboard for $1500 when you can use the real thing?  Visit your nearest Restore, architectural salvage, or even the “free” or “materials” section of Craigslist to find a real gate to use.

Do any of these affordable Anthropologie ideas pique your creative DIY arm?

For 2010, I am excited to introduce an “Affordable Anthropologie” series, wherein we explore more budget-friendly and DIY alternatives for Anthropologie inspired rooms. My goal is to recreate the Anthropologie look at 1/10th of the cost (after all, elbow grease is free).

To welcome the series, I thought we could start with one of the nooks from the January catalog.For the mirror, chair, and dresser pictured above, the tab would run you $2,294 – before shipping and taxes.  Let’s see how we can recreate this entire look for less than 1/10th of the price.  In fact, we can create the entire $2,294 look for $180!

Affordable Anthropologie version for the conservatory chair: $150. I often see beautiful vintage armchairs on Craigslist that simply need a little reupholstery love to be revitalized into a gorgeous sitting piece.  While some cost as little as $40, on average, the chairs with good bones can cost you $100.  There is not much yardage involved, and I would budget $50 towards upholstery linen fabric.  I personally think a vintage-inspired fabric with type would look dashing sitting next to the numbered dresser in the Anthropologie-inspired room.I have written up a simple chair reupholstery tutorial, and for how to stencil your own vintage-inspired fabric, visit the DIY tutorial via design*sponge. 

Affordable Anthropologie version for the reassembled mirror: $15. Make your own driftwood mirror in any shape and style you please, and spend only $15 when you follow this DIY tutorial via Create Studio.

Affordable Anthropologie version for the Ordinal Dresser: $15 (if you already own a dresser). The dresser in this Anthropologie room does not have any particularly special lines or design elements, save for the aged wood patina and stenciled and painted numbers.  Download free number stencils, buy a package of Peel Away for $7,99, and a small jar of black paint or finish for $5 to create your own version.  To strip paint or finish from a dresser you already own, follow Brooklyn Limestone in her adventures in taking white paint off to reveal a beautiful wood door using Peel Away.

The final cost for our Affordable Anthropologie inspired room is $180.  Even if you have the chair professionally reupholstered, the price tag would jump to $380 – $450, a far cry from the $2294 Anthropologie price tag!  You can also complement the look with affordable cost shutters, and voila, your Anthropologie-inspired room is complete!