The Showcase Table
Make a useful and lovely coffee table from the most unexpected items!
I acquired this lovely old piece (does it even qualify as vintage) back when I was in college along with a stereo system and giant speakers (and an earache) – but we are not here to talk about those now. As we were saying I had a giant collection of cassettes, being the music fan I am and this was the perfect storage for the time.
Now since we do not use cassettes anymore, it was basically taking up space in my house. Aside from lots of dust, it was in good shape and the wood was beautiful. I did not want to get rid of it, since I love to repurpose anything old, but I did not know what the perfect solution would be till my husband came up with the idea of a table. Of course, I would need the right base.
As I may have mentioned, I have a basement that is chock full of old decrepit stuff. This chair had been my father-in-law’s many years ago and had seen better days. I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but the back rest was broken and it was not an easy fix. Aside from the obvious sentimental value, the wood was in good condition and it was worth salvaging.
I knew it had a sturdy bottom and I decided to focus on that, instead of trying to repair a chair that was on its last legs. And that’s about all that it had left – legs.
With my husband’s help I cut off the top part which was splintered.Then I set about removing the fabric, and all the nails that held it in place. There were quite a few that had been nailed in over the years.
I sanded it down and then applied my homemade furniture wax. You can see how much richer it looks. This would be perfect for my table base.
Next, I had to take care of the cassette holder. I cleaned it with some oil and vinegar and then the next day I varnished it with 2 coats. I should point out that I have removed some slats so that I can place my collection of sea shells inside and use it as a display. But I still had to find a way to screw the top to the base. After much trial and error, and of course with the help of hubby, we were able to screw the top onto the base.
Finally, I topped it off with a piece of beveled glass. The cost for this project was minimal, just the price of the glass, since I already had the varnish. Here we have my collection without the glass.
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This is a unique piece, one that I was very happy to have completed. By combining the chair and the cassette storage unit, I was able to create something more than the sum of its parts. I wanted to preserve this piece, because it reminds me of the earaches I had gotten from listening to my loud music. But mostly because it has special meaning for my husband who fondly remembers his dad sitting in that chair.
This is such an awesome idea! And such a lovely tribute to your father-in-law 🙂 I see these all the time at the thrift store and wish I could find a way to use them. Thanks for the inspiration!
Stacy thanks for your comment, it means a lot coming from you because I admire your work so much. Glad I was able to inspire.
Mary, I’ve said it before, I say it again: you’re genius!!! This is so beautiful and with memories for both you and your husbands to cherish! I wanna come take a look at your basement 😉
Katrin, you do not know how much your comments mean to me. Thank you so much for your encouragement friend! You are welcome to come rummage through my basement any time.
Mary, this is a treasure! I love how you combined both pieces to make a lovely one. Now, every time that both of you look at it, you’ll have nice memories.
Pili. Yes, this project was a dream for both of us and we are so happy to have it completed.
Μαίρη ,θα έρθω να βουτήξω στην αποθήκη σου !!!! Καταπληκτικό κομμάτι έγινε .Έδωσες και στα δύο κομμάτια δεύτερη ευκαιρία ζωής ,να τα χαρείτε και να θυμάστε τις όμορφες παλιές στιγμές που περάσατε με αυτά !Καλή σου βδομάδα !
Ολυμπία, θα χαρώ να έρθεις στην αποθήκη μου. Ευχαριστώ για τα καλά σου λόγια και να έχεις μια καλή εβδομάδα!
What a splendid idea. It turned out so nice.
Thank you Debra. I think this is my best one yet.
I love the end result. Very creative indeed.
Thanks so much Dori. I sat on it for months before finally taking the plunge and cutting the chair. But it was worth it.
I love this idea!! Very creative, great way to preserve a dear piece of furniture and some memories from college days. It’s a really beautiful table!!
Keri. that cassette organizer is almost as old and me and still going strong. They don’t make them like that anymore.
This is such a great idea! I’ve always loved this concept!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you Jess. I always look out for pieces to marry together.
You are brilliant! Never would I have thought to be that creative,
Thank you Debbie. I’ll tell you a secret. I was never this cr eative. It was only after I started blogging that mycreative juices began to flow. There is so much inspiration around us. It sort of seeps into your pores.
Maria, this is really beautiful!
Thank you Angelica. This one is very special, worked on it for a long time to get it just right.
Great idea to turn your cassette holder into a table, and to re-purpose the chair as the base. Now you have a unique piece of furniture that has special memories for you and your husband, and a wonderful display case for your beautiful sea shells 🙂
Thank you so much. This was on my mind for a long time, I’m so glad it is finally finished.
What a great idea and it turned out beautiful!
Katerina thank you. My husband is beaming!!
I love this project! What a fantastic idea, and it turned out beautifully!
Thank you Julie. And this time I did not paint it like I usually do. I figured I would let the wood shine through.
I love that you repurposed two old treasures into one new one. Wonderful project.
Thanks Eilis, that’s what I do, I love to repurpose. and upcycle. Thanks for visiting.
Great recycle, repurpose, and reimagine Mary!
Thanks Marie. I learn from the best! Hope you are feeling well, Hurry up and come back soon, we miss you much.
Nice way to display your collection, Mary.
Thanks for adding this to #tiptuesday.
Thank you so much Debbie, I am now inspired to look for more shells.
Hi Mary! 🙂
Wow, it looks beautiful and the top and bottom look like they were meant for each other, they match perfectly!
I love that you stored shells inside, so pretty!
And reusing a sentimental piece means everything!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Kimberley 🙂
Thanks Kimberly, Yes I was able to preserve 2 old pieces and display my ever growing collection of shells. Now I’m inspired to look for new one. I t hink you can appreciate that more than most. Thanks and have a great day.
I love this!! Thanks for sharing on the OMHGWW! I love making new things out of old furniture. 🙂 It’s a terrible hobby since my garage is always full of junk! 😉
-Heather
Heather we are repurposers (is that even a word?) to the bone. Do not look at your garage pile as junk but as an opportunity to express your creativity. So many things to transform and play with.
I’ve wanted a table like this for ages to display some of our ‘treasures’, but it never occurred to me to make my own. Love what you have done here – really clever! Spotted you over on #WAYWOW
Sarah, I used to believe that too, that if I wanted something I would have to buy it, not any more, I find that starting this blog has inspired me to try things I never would have before. What’s the worst that can happen a fail…well, I’ll try again, It is all so much fun. Try looking at old furniture with a new eye and you will be amazed at what you can come up with. Thanks for visiting.
I love this, Mary! It’s so fun to take pieces that are special to us, but that just aren’t serving a purpose anymore, and give them new life. What a great reminder this table will be every time you see it.
Thanks for linking up with The Alder Collective! Your posts have been pinned to the party group board, and we hope to see you again next Tuesday at 8 EST!
Thank you Abby. Is is a very special table indeed and one that I will treasure and it was a lot of fun working with the hubby on this project. Thanks for stopping by.