Top Transformations for Furniture

Some of the best transformations don't just come from paint, but when a piece is repurposed.

 This blog post is dedicated to a few of my favorite furniture transformations.

Lets start with this door. I picked it up at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore. It was less than $20. With my saw, some pocket screws and a new piece of wood for the seat, I made a unique bench out of the door.

 Before:

 

After:

Looks completely different right? This one was a keeper, it is currently in my own foyer.

One of the first major transformations I ever did was to convert an old radio into a bar cabinet. This was a big undertaking, even though some of the radio components were already removed, I had to remove the rest of the components, remove the gingham fabric, added a drawer, added a backing (copper tile look), added wine glass holders, and added a wine bottle holder (which can be removed if needed). Check out the difference:
Before:

After:

This one even won me an award in a General Finishes contest a few years ago. I have to admit it might be one of my favorites.

The next transformation I want to share is one that I recently finished. It involved a White Elephant gift exchange with another local furniture artist that I teamed up with. We each gifted each other a piece of furniture that would be considered ugly or dated. She gave me a coffee table to refinish. I decided it was better suited as an upholstered bench, so I removed the railings and top drawer, then added foam, batting and new fabric onto a piece of wood which I screwed onto the bench. But that's not all, I decided to also use the drawer that came with it as well and make another piece. I added a bottom to it since the old bottom was the coffee table part, then paired the piece with 4 hairpin legs to give it some height, and finished it off with card catalog hardware. It became a cute and modern end table!

Both of those items went home with the same person, I'm glad they will continue to live in the same home.


One of my clients wanted me to refinish a hutch for her, but she only wanted to use the bottom part and wanted to get rid of the top, so she gave it to me for free. It was a solid piece of wood, so I didn't want it going to the dumpster. Instead I added wood to the top and bottom, added wood to the doors (removed the glass) and added feet. It became a buffet!
Before:

After:

The last transformation I want to talk about is what was once an old desk. My husband was delivering a piece of furniture and he found this "beauty" sitting on the curb, so grabbed it for me. Its an old typewriter desk, but I didn't like the middle section as there was no longer a need for it. Instead, I cut the middle section out, and added a new side panel to each piece. One of the bottom pieces of trim was missing so I just replaced both.
Before:

After:

Now I know that turning a desk/vanity into two nightstands is not a new concept, but this project was new to me and I love how they turned out!

Check out my Instagram or Facebook page as I continue my journey of transforming furniture and cabinetry!