We are moving into a smaller house which requires creative interior design and also making use of every space for storage. We have a wonderful old piece of furniture and no place to put it, so we decided to use it as the TV stand, but it would require some modification. We took out the two large drawers, made two shelves where they used to be, so that we would have a place for the blue ray, satellite box, etc. and now we are using the "leftover" drawers upstairs under a bed as storage units.
By tiller from The Netherlands
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To make custom furniture, take parts of cast off furniture and remake it to suit your needs. I took a short wide dresser and cut it down to just two drawers. I placed a cabinet on top, putting a drop down shelf in between to make a computer 'armoire'.
I remembered seeing somewhere that someone took old drawers and repurposed them into knicknack shelves. Now I have a attractive display shelf for some of my Hot-Wheels die cast cars.
I found a round card table at the local donation station where I live. I then purchased a .50 round table cloth.
My husband converted a damaged coffee table into a display case and it is now my favorite piece of furniture. You need a coffee table that has a drawer in it as you need a table with a top piece and a bottom piece.
I took a simple bookcase (one large board with two smaller boards nailed on each end) and transformed it into a "potty" stool for my grandchildren. I painted it and put the children's names on the legs of the stool.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have a iron coffee table that I had spray painted black to match the oriental style living room we have. Unfortunately, due to some careless rough housing, I ended up falling on the glass top of the table, and broke the glass. I still have all the glass, as well as the frame, but they're sitting in storage.
Attached is what it looked like before I broke the glass
By Ashley W.
Why don't you just take in the frame and have a new piece of glass put in? Another idea, if you are tired of the glass look, is to have a metal worker make a frame to fit that you can set large tiles into - 12x12 size, for example. Metal tables with tile tops are very nice looking.
You could measure it and go to the hardware store and have them cut you a piece of plexiglass to fit or a piece of counter top. If you do use wood, you can paint it to match your decor which is what a friend of mine did.
Do you have any suggestions for repurposed furniture such as using a dresser as a kitchen island, drawers used as book cases, etc.?
I have an older dresser that I got from a garage sale, the kind where it probably had a large mirror attached to the back, and has the 'knee hole' to pull a chair up to.
I use it for my 'computer table'. I use the long middle drawer over the knee hole to put the keyboard in when not being used, and the side drawers for copy paper, ink refills, manuals, etc. It goes very nicely with my country themed home.
Draws make great shadow boxes or shelves. 2 small end tables or night stands (the same sizes) & a long piece of plywood can make a great buffet or dining table (just cover with a sheet or some fabric). Or even a work area table, for office, crafts, & other projects. You may want to put some contact paper over it or something else, if you are going to work on it.
Using a heat gun to darken and define the knots and grain on pine furniture is one way to improve the appearance of this inexpensive wood. Add painted stencils, unique handles, and other decorative touches to create a lovely piece that complements your home's decor.
An old, unrepairable upright piano can be repurposed into a unique desk with some time and creativity. This is a page about turning a piano into a desk.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
We have an oak "credenza" that is nice and narrow for the dining area in our apartment. I think it started life off as a sink cabinet or something.
