Have you ever looked at something old and worn out and thought that it’s such a shame that it needs to be thrown away?
Some people definitely have the vision to see what a piece of furniture or older object looked like in its glory days. Even fewer have the willpower and knowhow to actually restore it to what it used to be. But there is a community dedicated to making one person’s trash another person’s treasure. These 23 transformations totally blew me away.
1. This thing looked pretty hopeless, but now it’s a beautiful addition to the front porch.
2. Some careful scrubbing and polishing went down and these numbers are shining again!
3. Brass candlesticks are hard to come by, so restoring this pair to its original glory is a worthwhile endeavor.
4. Restoring tools and other work items used to be a necessity and is still a hobby for many craftsmen. This cement mixer from 1971 still has life in it yet!
5. This crazy contraption is a soap dish, entirely made of brass, looks gorgeous now!
6. This is actually insane. Amazing work!
7. Found in a thrift shop, this cezve began rusted and dark. Look at it now!
8. YAAAAAS! Bring Dance Dance Revolution back into my life!
9. This chair made by a famous chair company had seen better days. Now it has a whole new life!
10. He went to the graveyard and wanted to honor the combat veterans there by making their names legible again.
11. The Toledo company still makes scales today, but this old one needed some TLC.
12. Before television, there was radio, and this one looks like it got a lot of love in its heydey. Now it can sing on.
13. You’d think a waterlogged book would be lost forever, but this Japanese craftsman is making them good as new.
Head to the next page for more incredible transformations. #14 is one you can’t miss.
14. Restoring old photographs has to be one of the coolest things out there.
15. The U.S. Mail used to be delivered by horse on the Pony Express, and this newly-refurbished mailbox reminds us of that history.
16. This rusted-out rifle needed some serious care before it could shoot again.
17. These are actually both before pictures.
Here’s how they look now!
18. Now that’s a way to make a good first impression!
19. This old safe had been painted brown and lost its etched plate, but with a little work it looks good as new.
20. Home remodels are so satisfying. I can’t get enough of this HGTV-quality bathroom look.
21. My mom idolizes her KitchenAid mixer, and this one from the 1950s looks like it would fit right in in any modern kitchen.
22. This artist “restores” wood furniture by replicating its missing pieces with plastic. Learn more about his insanely cool work here.
23. This Swiss Army backpack had seen better days. With new leather fittings, however, it’s good as new — and a great conversation piece!
