Winter Weather DIY Projects from Second Hand Furniture Stores
Somebody somewhere is immersed in the winter season. If you’re anything like me you think of a whole host of projects to get caught up on when the weather cooperates. In the summer months it’s usually outside the house fixing up the yard or putting up new rain gutters. In the winter months you might turn your attention to working inside. Let me share a couple of ideas for projects to construct using materials/items from second hand furniture stores.
A New Home Theater Area
With the advent of the newer flat panel televisions, you might say that the entertainment center that was the staple of almost every living room is now a dinosaur. Well, let’s think about that. If you have a work area such as a garage or outside patio, a few simple hand tools and some paint or stain, you can use a little imagination to turn a well-made dinosaur into a modern looking home theater center. It’s hard to make any modifications to a newer piece of furniture made of particle board, so the older entertainment centers that are actually made of oak or maple enable you some creative freedom.
Start by cutting off the bottom section to make it short enough to accommodate your newer flat screens on top and still have space for stereo components or surround sound components. Or you could cut open the area that used to accommodate your television, extend the bottom area for your new larger television and keep all the storage area as well.
At the Arc Store you can find many of the tools you’ll need, and a fine selection of dinosaurs to choose from, if yours is too far gone. You can usually find an inexpensive surround sound system as well. Think of the fun you’ll have sharing your new living room theater with your family and friends and the pride of knowing you restored an unwanted piece of furniture into a “new” usable piece of furniture, while saving money at the same time.
Curio/Collectable or Kitchen Display
Ok, let’s start thinking about the ladies. Even in my home I have a nice built in cabinet in my dining room where I keep my finer table setting items. I call them “my finer items” since I do all the cooking. Now, my idea is to knock that wall out about ten feet, expand my dining area and put in a sliding door, but that’s another blog topic altogether. If you don’t have this feature you could build a custom hutch from various components found at local second hand furniture stores. Put a book case on top of a small dresser that you can easily refinish or paint and voila, you now have a hutch for your table finery and an updated living space. When doing this realize that you can customize it in any way you want to make room for any special items you might have.
Bedroom Makeover Magic
Now, I’ve only had one opportunity to remake a bedroom and it was when my son-in-law finally moved out. Don’t get me wrong, he really wanted to go, Honest! Boy were my creative thought processes in high gear. Go down to your local thrift or second hand furniture stores and see what you can find. You could make the room into an office with a quality built used desk and wall unit that just need a little sanding or painting; or a quiet, comfortable reading or music listening area with a nice soft chair and proper lighting and book shelves all purchased inexpensively.
If it’s a bedroom that’s still needed, second hand furniture stores are great places to find new treasures that can change the purpose of a room in an instant. There’s something about the look of a nice wood headboard and footboard that can easily be refinished in any way to compliment your new bedroom style. Finish it with fine looking linen and pillows and then turn your attention to the dresser and night stands that will finish off your vintage bedroom look.
These are simple ideas that anyone can expand on to accomplish changing your home’s look on a budget so, why wait?
