5 Things You Don't Have to Throw Out After All

That chair may look ragged, but as long as it's still sturdy—and you love its overall shape—it's worth reupholstering. Spencer used just 2 yards of fabric to revive this seat, and suggests looking for 'remnant fabric'—leftover pieces—at stores to score a better deal. This project is a great opportunity to add pattern to liven up a neutral living room: Try toile, like Spencer did, for a traditional look, or an oversize nature print, like fern leaves, if you're more contemporary. Fair warning: The seat of a dining room chair can be an easy DIY, but for more complex projects, like this settee, with its curved arms, you may want to call in a pro.

But Go Ahead and Toss: Any worn piece that doesn't have at least two of the following: solid construction, an iconic shape and great details (like the claw feet on Spencer's settee).

Lara Spencer is a co-host of Good Morning America, host of Flea Market Flip (HGTV and Great American Country) and author of I Brake for Yard Sales and Flea Market Fabulous.