Re-purposing furniture

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Have you re-used furniture in any clever ways?

I put on old diaper changing table in my laundry area. It is a great height to use as a folding table. With three "shelf" levels I can sort the laundry for three people nicely.

[creditcardfree]

I bought a new bench for my front entry. It came from dining set at the store. Not exactly the same.

I like what you did, Joan. Very clever.

[mom-from-missouri]

I have an antique dresser inside a door that we use to go out and chore. Each family member has a drawer for their hats, gloves and such. The coat rack is beside it.

At my old house I had a dresser for the same purpose by the front door. On top of it I had a vase of flowers and one top drawer held the days mail.

I had another dresser that I used in the kitchen (it was a huge kitchen) that held all the kitchen linens and some holiday candles. For big dinners I also used the top of it to hold dessert items (we usually ate buffet style for entertaining).

We also have an old Mcdougal (kitchen hutch) in the garage that has car towels in the cabinet part, and pet supplies in the drawers. However once I get it stripped and refinished, it is going to the basement to my kitchen down there. I think it is oak, so it should come out nice.

[Gruntina]

I seen a friend who used a kitchen chair and spray painted it a blue/green color. She use this as an end table for her bed. it looks cute with a lamp and a small vase with fresh flowers.

[Judi Dial]

We do this a lot. I had a bookstore so many of the items that have been reused either are bookcases or were bookcases! DH has a part of my metal supports in his office. there's more that will eventually end up either in the shed or attic. We have a school desk (hole in the front) that I bought as a telephone stand (put phone book in the hole) that's currently got a piece of marble a friend took out of her kitchen on it and my food processor on top of that. There's a glass-fronted bookcase that another friend gave me that was in the store that's now holding linens and beans in mayo jars in my kitchen.

I know someone who has two old wood sewing machine stands as side tables in her house too.

JD

[SnoopyCool]

I have an extra dresser that holds our DVDs and VHS tapes (yes, we still own some). Hope chest doubles as seating and inside hides the diapers and coloring books/crayons in the living room. Luckily, both pieces of furniture match, though they were not purchased together!

[mom-from-missouri]

Humm, I guess I have more than I thought-I too use an antique sewing table as a bedside table. I also have glass table toppers on top of old red wing crocks for a table in the upstairs office, and another that has extra towls in it in the bathroom beside the garden tub. The glass top then provides a place to hold candles and lotions.

[Coleroo]

we have my mom's (hand-me-down) kitchen hutch in our bedroom. The drawers and shelves are perfect for clothes and there's a big open space that's the perfect size for a laundry basket!

In the kitchen, we have a cream colored antique bedroom side table that we found at the thrift store - it's the perfect mini buffet, complete with a shallow drawer for silverware.

HA..oh my...i just realized I have bedroom furniture in the kitchen and kitchen furniture in the bedroom.

[mom-from-missouri]

we have my mom's (hand-me-down) kitchen hutch in our bedroom. The drawers and shelves are perfect for clothes and there's a big open space that's the perfect size for a laundry basket!

Thank you! You just gave me an idea. We have an antique kitchen hutch I was going to put downstairs after I refinish it, but now maybe I will put it in our bedroom or the master bath for additional storage. It is a Hoosier style one and I think the wood is going to turn out to be oak, from what little I cleaned so far, it looks oak.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Oh, wow, if I had a hoosier cabinet in my bedroom, I think I would use the flour bin to hold my socks. Just toss them in with no concern for neatness.

We, too, have a horizontal style dresser in my dining room as a server/buffet.

We also have a 1920's small wardrobe in the dining room. I should say our dining room doubles as our office. Inside the wardrobe we have put assemble-it-yourself wire shelving from target. They fit as if custom made for it. The wardrobe now holds printer, paper, and tools for husband's work.

In one bedroom we have a 1960 stereo cabinet. The shelves meant for vinyl records were just right to hold magazines, all kinds of paper, and art supplies when my child was young. Later, it transitioned to holding cables, electronic components, and tools. We found a cedar hutch that fit on top of it perfectly---$6 from St. Vincent de Paul store! I think the hutch was originally for a dining room, as it has a plate rail in it, but it is great as a book case.

[cptacek]

I have one of those rolling TV stands as my printer stand...that way when I scan documents I can roll it close to me and when I am not using it, it goes back into the corner.

I also am using a piece of furniture as a computer desk. I don't know what it is called but it has two drawers on the top and two doors on the bottom. I put the keyboard on one drawer (pulled out) and the mouse pad on the other drawer (also pulled out). Ok for now, but if I ever start working out of my house, I'll have to get something a bit more ergonomic.