Apr 23, 2012

TV Console


This is my husband's old ugly desk. It's about 3 feet wide and 5 feet long and is so heavy it takes three people to move it. He bought it at a consignment shop years ago and lugged it up the stairs to his home office under the eaves. When the kids got old enough to use the computer, we wanted their use to be where we could  monitor it, so we actually lowered this monster over the loft railing to have it in the family room below. 



This became the family office. It was great for bill paying and homework because the kids could spread out their books and papers and still have room for the printer and old computer monitor (remember how big those old monitors were?) When the kids went away to college and my husband and I got laptops, we retired the desktop computer and incorporated the home office into my craft room back upstairs. 

We were older and wiser now, and there was no way we were going to lug the "monster" upstairs again. 

So I started scheming to get rid of it because it is so huge and so ugly
 
Before I could convince my husband to get rid of it (what is it about men and their attachments to huge heavy ugly pieces of furniture?), we replaced our tiny 22 year-old television and needed a new stand and somewhere to store all the TV stuff. The new 47" flat screen television broke the budget, though, and there was no money left for a new piece of furniture, too. 

Then I saw this Craigslist redo online about 18 months ago. It was the first time I'd seen a television console made from another piece of furniture. I loved the simple idea of removing some drawers in a dresser for the cable box, DVR, and DVD player.   

Nuestra Vida Dulce

And I thought, hey, I can do that with the desk! My handy husband made some shelves for the knee hole of the desk, and I stained them to match the desk trim. We retrofitted the inside shelves behind the fake drawer front on the left side to fit two huge plastic under-the-bed boxes from Target to store DVDs in one and assorted chargers, cables, iPods, manuals, etc. in the other. You just open the door and the big plastic boxes slide out like drawers. In the three real drawers on the other side, we keep miscellaneous household stuff.  You would not believe how much stuff this one piece of furniture holds.




But the thing is, the one that I copied is cool, and mine is still really ugly, it still takes up way too much floorspace, and I still want something that looks nicer.

After pricing nice looking, well-built television stands and consoles, I decided I just can't waste spend $500 (or more) on a new one. Instead, I'm on the lookout for an interesting piece of used furniture in good shape with lots of storage that I can refinish and remake into one. One that's taller, narrower, lighter weight, and not ugly

There are a lot of people thinking the same thing because today I found all of these television consoles online made from other furniture at a fraction of the price of a new one.

Ana White

Sweet Pickins

Danielle Oakey Interiors

Liz Marie Blog
Farm Style Studio


Addicted 2 Decorating

Ana White

Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss




Apartment Therapy


I Am Momma Hear Me Roar

Natty by Design
Nifty Thrifty Girl


Sugar Bee Crafts


Emily A. Clark


How Does She?


Project! Palermo


Be Different Act Normal


Aren't they beautiful?

Wish me luck on my search for the perfect piece of (cheap) used furniture for my new television console. 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Linking to 
Funky Junk Interiors 




5 comments:

  1. This is a great idea and one that I COPIED as well :) We hung our flat screen on the wall and I put a dresser underneath it to hold all of our stuff and of course I had to accesorize it LOL...mine is painted red, and I was lucky enough to find it that way and didn't even have to paint it....I love this idea and yours looks great!

    Lou Cinda :)

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  2. I loved seeing all the ideas you posted for the TV consoles today. I am soon going to be in a "TV console dilemma" of sorts myself and any ideas are helpful at this point. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. When I can afford the flat screen TV I too will be on the lookout for that perfect piece of furniture. Good luck with your search. There were some great ideas in your post

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  4. Great Post! I think using old furniture and taking out the drawers is a good money saving idea. Good luck on your hunt...
    New Follower.

    Jody

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  5. How did I ever miss this? I am on a hunt for an old dresser too... I have one pinned under Entertainment Centers where they built a simple hutch to sit on top. The colour is a bit much (bright green), but I love the idea. I'm staying tuned Laurel! :)

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