Repurposed Piano Parts–Entry Table

One of my latest projects has involved the dismantling of my grandmother’s old upright piano. It involved a tremendous amount of work but it was great fun. I am in the process of recycling all of the parts. My first repurposed item was an entry table for our summer cottage.

Due to limitations in the size of the lot, the layout of the house has a long, narrow hallway coming from the entry.

The photo makes the hallway appear wider than it is. Actually it is only four feet wide, wall to wall so it would be less than that at the moldings on the floor. Thus, it is too narrow for even a shelf to be mounted on the wall.  I needed some type of small table to drop keys, phones, etc. on to keep it off the end of the kitchen counter.  At the end of the hallway, there is a niche next to the refrigerator that is 26 inches wide and 13 inches deep. After looking and looking for a piece to fit this spot, I finally decided that I could build my own. Take a look at what I started with………

I didn’t take a lot of photos of the deconstruction but it was done over a period of two afternoons. Three large pieces came off very quickly and easily. The large panel on the bottom above the petals simply lifts off. The large panel at the top where the music rests comes off with a couple of screws. And, the very top which is a hinged panel comes off with a couple of screws. I will be repurposing these parts into a chest. After removing those three parts, we had to lay the piano down on its back so that it would not fall as we dismantled every thing else. I am NOT recommending that anyone try this. It is dangerous as these old pianos weigh several hundred pounds! The parts that I used for the table were the legs (which were held on with big screws) and the very bottom of the piano. I also used one of the curved pieces that folds down to cover the keyboard.

The top of the table was made from the very bottom of the piano. It has a beveled edge on it. I stripped the varnish off of the curved piece and chose to leave it as natural wood because the finish was so pretty.

My only purchase for this project was one piece of molding to cover seams on the sides of the table.

There actually was a piece of molding in my salvaged parts but it was not wide enough to cover the area I wanted to cover.

I built the drawer (box) out of a scrap of plywood and screwed the round front on from the inside. I even reused the wood screws from the piano! (I should have painted the drawer but was too anxious! I’ll do it later.)

I purchased a buffet lamp from the clearance section at Hobby Lobby.

Then I added a vintage box from my collection.

It is a wooden cigar box that I purchased at a flea market for $2!!! I almost died when the vendor said I could have it for $2! Another project checked off my list. Now, if I can re-train my family to drop keys here.

I hope you’re having a great and productive summer!

I’ll be linking to Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style and to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Pretty in Pink

I recently hosted a baby shower for my niece who will soon have a baby girl. It was fun putting together a pink party.

Instead of a traditional tablecloth, I used 4 yards of pink minky cloth and tied white bows to the corners. The fabric will be used later in the baby’s nursery.

The centerpiece consisted of fresh flowers, mostly pink and white roses, with the umbrella hanging from the chandelier.I had to explain to some of my family members that the umbrella was for the “shower” and the crystals were “rain drops.”

I fixed one of my niece’s favorite treats, peanut butter Ritz crackers dipped in candy coating. This time I used pink candy melts instead of the usual chocolate.

I was able to find some little “it’s a girl” picks for the mini cupcakes. The pink icing was called Pink Lemonade.

We had pink lemonade for our beverage.

For the door decoration, I put a few small soft toys on a grapevine wreath and added some rosettes made from baby socks. I also added pacifiers to the ends of the tulle bow.

My pink Knock Out tree roses did have a few blooms for additional color at the entry.

We are ready to for the arrival of baby Hannah. We are praying for her health and for an easy delivery in a couple of weeks!

I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Updating and Re-Sizing Built-ins

I recently completed an update to the built-in shelves in our den.  It was quite an undertaking and made a tremendous difference in the appearance of the room.

The lighter paint color made the room so much lighter and brighter.

If you look closely at the after picture on the right, you can see that I also changed the trim work throughout the room from stained wood to white paint. In addition to the color change, I re-sized the built-ins.

 

These shelves house our television and we wanted to upgrade to a slightly larger TV. Unfortunately, the TV above was the largest size that would fit into the opening. I decided that a larger flat screen model would fit if the shelves were not so deep. They were more that 20 inches deep so there was room to trim them back.

You get a better idea of the depth of the shelves when they are empty. I then began to carefully remove the molding from around the edges. Then I was able to find screws to remove. With a lot a gentle wiggling, the three top units came out.

I carried the top units out to my workshop garage and got to work.

With the unit on its side, I used a square and level to draw a line about 7 inches in from the back. I drew that line on both sides and the top. Then I got out the old circular saw and carefully cut along the lines!!

Next, I carefully pried the thin plywood back off of the part that I cut off and put it on the freshly cut unit. The units were put back in place and I put the screws back in. Now I had a 7 inch gap around the edges to deal with. I used several pieces of molding to clean it up a little. I added a piece of crown molding across the top.

I added another piece of molding at the front edge of the top wall and at the front edge of the walls on the sides.

The molding makes a smooth transition and gives a more professional look.

Now the larger TV can sit on the base and fit in front of the top unit without having to fit in the opening.

These shelves are not particularly styled as they are more functional than decorative but I did pare down a lot of books. We don’t have any books just for looks so they don’t all have pretty white covers or we would never be able to find what we’re looking for!

I have a collection of rabbits and several of my favorites are here.

I’ve had this rabbit tureen for many years.

We are enjoying the fresh look.

I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.

Recycled Kitchen Cabinet

During my recent kitchen renovation, I removed cabinets over the peninsula and lost a substantial amount of storage space. Part of the cabinets will be relocated to my garage. I was able to upcycle one cabinet and place it in my laundry room.

It is difficult to get a good photo in my small laundry room but it turned out well. The photo below shows what I started with.

This unit was too long to fit in the spot I had chosen. So, I removed the doors and got out my circular saw and proceeded to cut off one section.

Next, I used a scrap of plywood to close off the open end. Then I covered both ends with a scrap of beadboard and added molding to the corner.  I decided to add some crown molding that I had also taken down from the kitchen soffit.

Two coats of primer and three coats of paint later, I had my finished cabinet. The only cost I incurred was for one piece of corner molding. All of the other materials were recycled scraps.

I am pleased with how it turned out.

I’ll be linking to Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality, to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, and to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.

Disney Garden Inspiration

We recently visited Disney World and were able to be there during the annual Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. The gardens are always wonderful but they are exceptionally wonderful during the garden festival. One unnamed member of my family finds it hard to believe that it is a coincidence that the garden festival has been going on the last five times we have visited. To quote that person, “Coincidence my eye!” Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the gardens.

A giant topiary garden greets you at the entry.

Mickey’s robe was covered in begonias and the base was covered with allysum.

The stars were covered with dusty miller.

The base was a beautiful mixture of annuals.

This ostrich was so cute!

I love the grass accents!

This peacock was very interesting too.

Let’s get a closer look.

Here’s a great rendition of Goofy.

The prince and princess above were made of succulents.

Notice the use of grasses again on Captain Hook’s hat.

The three tiered fountain above was converted to a planter for succulents. Great use of a fountain when the pump breaks.

Also, on a more practical note for homeowners, there were wonderful containers everywhere.

I hope you’ve been inspired. I have and now I have a lot to do. I have weeds to pull and roses to spray. Have a great week.

I’ll be linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style.