My husband and I love visiting our local auction house. It is a date night we both look forward too. With his crazy schedule (police officer schedule), we must enjoy every minute we can get together. Not to mention, it’s the perfect place to find pieces to repurpose. Here is the story of how to repurpose a $5.00 television stand.
Table of Contents
The Auction House
Our auction house is divided into two sections. The front section (where it is air-conditioned) displays the furniture that is in pristine condition. It also has tables that display antiques, art pieces, and other valuable items. The back section (where there is no air condition – eeek!) is where I love to go. The back has, well basically, junk. There are tables full of any type of junk you can think of, from grandma’s old pots to boxes of rusty nails. However, it is also the place for furniture that might not be in the best of shape. By this, I mean missing hardware, broken drawers, furniture with no tops, that others may not see as repairable.
With my bidder’s number in hand, I start scanning, walking up and down each aisle. I noticed on this one isle, there were a lot of nasty cardboard boxes. It wasn’t what was in the boxes that interested me. It was what they were placed on top of. What caught my eye almost instantly, was the two doors on the front of the piece. They were being held together with a bungee cord. Yes! My kinda piece!
The Bid: 5$ for a Television Stand
It was a black television console cabinet. It wasn’t in bad shape. The door just needed a new hinge. It also had bun feet! Score! Anyways, the top was scratched beyond repair. The piece was not real wood, so I knew I could not do a lot of sanding to remove the scratches. But that’s okay, it was still workable.
I waited patiently for the Auctioneer to make his way to the isle. There did not seem to be anyone else interested in the cabinet, which was a plus for me. I had agreed with myself that I would go no higher than $20.00. The bidding started at $5.00. I raised my bidder’s card, waiting to see if anyone would dare outbid me. To my surprise, no one did! Five bucks! I was super excited! Here were our goodies for the night!
The piece sat in my garage for about 2 weeks. I pondered and pondered over it for days. That’s how I start to “see” a piece. I sat down to sketch out my ideas to repurpose this tv stand so that I could share it with my husband. I am a visual person, I must see it on paper. Trust me when I say I am no artist. But with a ruler, I can sketch out an overall plan.
The Television Stand Upcycle Idea
I determined the best way to go with this piece was a bench. The height of the cabinet made it the perfect candidate. The existing top piece, bottom and side pieces would be replaced with real wood. Chicken wire would replace the glass in the doors. I also wanted to add a new back because the existing back was full of holes, which I assumed was for cords. We decided to go with a piece of beadboard.
Next came the color choices. I wanted to give the bench a farmhouse vibe. Therefore, I did not want bright colors. After scanning the colors on Pinterest (my favorite place for inspiration) I found one I really liked! The color was called Glacier and it was made by FolkArt. It was chalk paint, which was a plus because I knew that I could not do a lot of sanding.
Construction of New Top and Trim
My husband started adding the new top directly onto the top of the cabinet. While he was doing this, I removed the doors, the glass in the doors, and the hardware.
We love adding wood to old furniture. It gives the piece a totally different look! Like this modern buffet, we transformed into a farmhouse buffet HERE.
He also replaced the sides and bottom pieces.
I gave the piece a light sanding with Gator 220 grit sandpaper. Just enough to scuff it up so that the paint would adhere better. After, I wiped the piece down with tacky paper to remove any dust that was left from sanding. I then gave it a good cleaning with vinegar and water.
The TV Stand Makeover
The stain I chose was Dark Walnut by Minwax for the wood. It is my favorite color stain! I gave all the new wood a coat of stain using a cheap bristle brush to get in all the nook and crannies, wiping off any excess with a lint-free cloth.
I painted two light coats of the chalk paint, allowing a 24-hour drying period between coats. I know that seems like a long time, but I have found that it gives the piece a more durable finish. Remember, two light coats are better than one thick coat.
Applying Antique Glaze
After the paint and stain were completely dry, I felt it was, well, too blue. I decided to apply an antique glaze to give it an old feel and tone down the blue.
Before applying the glaze, always apply your topcoat. If you do not, the glaze will seep into your paint color and look dirty. My go-to topcoat is Polycrylic by Minwax. Applying the topcoat first also gives you more control over the glaze.
The glaze is very easy to use. I use two cloths, one slightly dampened. The dry cloth is to apply the glaze and the dampened cloth is to remove any excess glaze.
The Cabinet’s New Look
We then attached the beadboard back. I purchased two doorknobs from D. Lawless Hardware. I love this company! Their hardware is affordable, and they have a superb selection!
And here is the repurposed tv stand! Can you believe the difference?
Wow that looks fantastic! Love the farmhouse vibe!
Thank you Linda! I love farmhouse!