Puttering
From the Poor Man's Flea Market
A free office castoff gets a simple repair, fresh paint, and a brand-new purpose in the dining room.
About a week ago I came out of my office at work and saw on the file cabinet that somebody had left a wooden monitor stand with a sign on it which read, "FREE." I looked it over and it looked in fairly decent shape so I figured what the heck, let's take it home and see what we can do with it. So, let's get into it.
One of my favorite kinds of projects starts exactly like this, with something that somebody else no longer wants. There's a certain satisfaction in looking past the scratches, the missing pieces, or yesterday's purpose and seeing what something could become. Those are often the projects that end up being the most rewarding.
The Free Find
Fun fact: the label was still on the bottom of the stand which gave me a lot of info. For one thing, it turns out the monitor stand was made in China back in March of 2017.
.heic)
So, a little more research showed that Target sold it for less than $25. I also noticed in the pictures that there were no wheels on it originally, which of course means the original owner or some subsequent owner (besides me) added wheels to it for whatever reason. All of which was kind of fortunate because without the casters I probably wouldn't even have noticed this piece!
Small Details Worth Saving
Another thing about this stand that catches the eye are the little accent pieces. While completely unnecessary, thus making them decorative, they do add a certain attractiveness to the piece. One of those little additions are the antique brass corner guards on each of the four corners on the top.
It also had a nice little card catalog drawer pull with a little piece of card stock... nice little touch.
And of course, for all the obvious reasons, I took these pieces off before painting. Not the least of these reasons is the fact that I just don't have a steady hand while painting. Now, one might think that was because I'm getting old, but quite frankly, I take umbrage at that because I've always had an unsteady hand, regardless of the fact that I am indeed getting old(er)! The nails in the corner guards were so tiny I actually had to use a chisel to gently pull them out.
Experience told me to collect all the little screws and nails and parts in a central location in a small tub so they don't roll off onto the floor and get lost. However, in the midst of moving things around, I knocked the entire little container onto the floor and it took me at least 10 minutes to find all the little nails. But in the end, I was able to find 'em!
A Simple Repair
As I noted earlier, the bottom skirt under the drawer was missing. Obviously, we've done much more complicated projects here 173, so I knew that - even I couldn't mess this one up!
I had a piece of scrap poplar just the right width for this piece. The only very slight problem was that the board was just ever so slightly too thick for the spot. So I marked out the areas on each end where they would butt up against an inside rail and just filed them down ever so slightly 'til they were flush with the front. After about 5 or 6 minutes the repair was made!
.jpg)
Then I glued the parts together, used a couple small weights as clamps and let them dry overnight.
And just like that, the stand was as good as new. Of course, considering that it's almost purely decorative and was just missing one little piece of wood, it's not surprising that it was all of a sudden good as new...but there we have it.
I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use. – Mother Teresa
A New Look with Paint
Then it was time to paint. It really only took me a minute or so after bringing this monitor stand home to know what color I would end up painting it. That's because once we decided it would be in the dining room, the only color that really made sense was the dark gray (Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal) used on the former typewriter table turned sideboard, and the chairs. Two coats later and that was done!
A few posts where stuff was painted here at 173
∙ A Great Tool for the Color Challenged! - February 2012
∙ Yellow Door at 173 - July 2013
∙ Painting Furniture: Dining Room Table - February 2015
∙ The Basement Stairway Remodel - June 2015
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Our second most applied label...Made at 173
Reinstalling the Hardware
When it came to putting the corner guards and catalog pull back on, I decided to only give them a light cleaning instead of shining them up.
The catalog pull showed a bit of wear, but I think it just added to the "antique" look. Besides that, it's not an expensive piece of fine furniture so I want about to over think it.
And... because the nails for the corner guards are so tiny, I used a drop of wood glue to help keep them in place.
And here's the fully upcycled stand... now called a plant stand!
From Monitor Stand to Plant Stand
Here's the new plant stand in the dining room. We'll let the paint cure for a couple days then that large plant in the background will have a new home!
That's the story of the free, nearly discarded monitor's simple transformation. Hey, thanks for stopping by - see ya' next time!
I spend a lot of time trying not to bring more things into my house, so at first I almost skipped this post. Another piece of furniture?
But somewhere between the tiny brass corner guards, the ten-minute hunt for runaway nails, and the decision to leave the hardware with a little age, I realized this wasn't really about getting another piece of furniture. It was about refusing to waste one that still had life left in it.
I also appreciated that you didn't try to make it something it wasn't. You didn't add elaborate trim, distress it within an inch of its life, or pretend it was a priceless antique. You simply repaired it, painted it to fit its new surroundings, and let its small details speak for themselves. That's a refreshing approach in a world where every makeover seems determined to become a viral sensation.
The finished plant stand looks like it belongs in your dining room, not because it was expensive, but because someone cared enough to imagine a second life for it. I like that philosophy a lot. - The Minimalist
Frequently Asked Questions
Why make a plant stand out of a monitor stand?
Monitor stands are surprisingly well suited for repurposing because they're already designed to support significant weight while raising an object off the surface below. With a little paint and imagination, they can become plant stands, printer stands, coffee stations, bedside organizers, or display pieces. It's a simple way to keep useful furniture out of the landfill.
When is a piece of inexpensive furniture worth saving?
Not every project has to involve heirloom furniture. If a piece is structurally sound and only needs cosmetic improvements or a minor repair, it's often worth rescuing. A few dollars in paint and an hour or two of work can produce something that's both useful and uniquely yours.
Why leave the hardware with a little age instead of polishing it?
Sometimes a little wear adds character. On a simple upcycling project like this, bright polished hardware would have looked out of place. Leaving a bit of the aged finish helped preserve the piece's personality while still allowing the fresh paint to take center stage.
How do you decide what color to paint an upcycled piece?
Rather than choosing a color in isolation, I try to think about where the piece will live. Since this stand was destined for the dining room, painting it Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal allowed it to tie in with the chairs and sideboard, making it look like it had always belonged there.
Keywords
upcycled furniture, monitor stand makeover, plant stand DIY, painted furniture, furniture upcycling, Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal, free furniture makeover, DIY furniture repair, House 173, Made at 173