Repurposing to make Bedside Tables
I have been looking for bedside tables for quite a long time. I want some really beautifully made, sturdy, all wood ones, but I don't want to pay much for them. Is this the story of your life too? This means waiting for the right thing to come along, but makes it so satisfying when it does.
I saw on Kirstie's Vintage Home (channel 4 on UK TV) with Kirstie Allsopp an idea that really caught my imagination. They gave hardly any details about it but showed a quick before and after making two bedside tables from one vintage dressing table. Every now and then, when I remembered I looked on ebay for an old dressing table but although they were on there, they were very often $250 or more. Totally unacceptable prices obviously. Finally one came up on freecycle and I grabbed it!
It was written on and had chalk board paint on it but it was free! I was going to paint it anyway.
The mirror came with it but wasn't attached. I don't see how it would be attached but I will use it for something else.
I took the two middle drawers away and got the runners off and was left with this:
I also took the cupboard doors off. I wasn't going to need these. The drawers are set about 10mm back and so I will put a piece of wood behind them so they close flush to the sides of the cabinets.
You can see how the drawers go in too far above. By the way, the dressing table is all made from plywood except the actual drawers, so it is not the solid wood I would ideally have liked. I still think it is cute though.
Finally there was one piece of wood left which ran throught he back of both sets of drawers, so this had to be cut.
I only used two tools to do it all. One was the claw hammer shown - such a useful tool. The other was a saw.
And finally I have two bedside tables. They still need some work. They need a 4th leg as otherwise they will fall over, or at least be very, VERY unstable. The drawers need to be made not to go back so far, and they need sanding, filling and painting. Those horrible brown drawers will not be brown forever. I will show you when I have finished! Bye!
What an interesting piece--I can't believe there would be cabinet doors over the drawers.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see how you finish it!
WOW pretty cool! I wish I was that good at re purposing!
ReplyDeleteI would love if you link this posts to my Monday party tomorrow! XO
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