Furniture styles are always changing, but one big style that has changed in the last ten or so years is entertainment centers. With the invention of the thinner flat screen TVs, those deep entertainment centers aren’t necessary anymore — something much thinner will work, or you can even hang your TV on the wall (and frame it like we did ;).
Sooo… that leaves lots of older style entertainment centers sitting around on curbs and in thrift stores. Which makes them the perfect DIY revamp candidates, of course. And our guest today made quick work of hers by removing the top and chopping it down to make it into a TV console table, perfect for holding your electronics beneath your wall-mounted TV:
When you’re revamping furniture, it’s important to use what you have wisely and make the existing features work for you. For example, a dresser made a great base for this awesome tall mudroom bench (featured here)
Or a taller dresser is a great candidate for a new bookshelf (featured here).
An old sewing table is a perfect fit for a drink cooler — perfect for entertaining! (featured here)
Or, my favorite is our built-in closet made from odds and ends of furniture:
But my favorite part about today’s project is just how EASY it is, and that it will work with pretty much any older style entertainment center. Here’s Kelly with all the details!
Today I’m showing you how we came to have this fabulous entertainment console…
it looked almost nothing like this when we got started.
Stick around…we’re gonna have some fun!
Once upon a time…
There was a man who wanted to mount a flat screen TV to the wall.
The question that came about was:
What in the world do we do with this old entertainment center?
Hmmm…that was a good question.
There was talk of some open shelves with baskets…
kinda like something somebody somewhere saw on Pinterest.
There was even some nonchalant perusing of brand
new console tables for under the TV.
Ugh. Ugly and/or expensive.
Then one of us (you know it was me…) said:
Hey, why don’t we just make over what we’ve already got?
Genius, I tell ya.
It actually used to have a partition on the upper left side with a glass door…
we took that off a couple years ago so we could fit the flat screen in there.
First we removed the top…we knew we wanted to keep
that part since the edges were finished.
We used a hand saw to cut off the vertical sides all the way down to the bottom.
Rather easy, and it doesn’t have to be pretty…just even.
See why pretty doesn’t matter?
We’re attaching the top piece the bottom section and it will cover any saw marks.
Unless you got really carried away and went all Texas Chainsaw on it or something.
Then I can’t help you.
We removed the doors, filled the screw holes with DAP spackle and sanded.
We measured to make sure we had the top centered on the bottom piece,
then we used Gorilla wood glue in generous amounts, added a few clamps,and set some heavy things on the top while it dried for a couple days.
Obviously not these things…they’re not very heavy.
Once it was ready…I used some home mixed chalk paint…
because, really…I didn’t want to primer.It is laminate, so if you don’t use a chalk type paint, you will need to primer.
Two coats later…and it looks like it was always one
short piece of furniture and never anything else.
This was Martha Stewart’s Tidewater…mixed at Home Depot with Glidden paint.
It’s a little more green than aqua, but I made it work in the room.
Minwax clear furniture wax all over, a little Annie Sloan dark wax for drama…
and you have an amazing transformation!
I found these practically perfect baskets at World Market.
I sewed the liners and we won’t talk about how they
didn’t fit quite right and I had to cut a slit in the back.
Grrr.
Hey, at least they’re pretty from the front!
Not only did they unify the look, but they kept the CDs and DVDs
from leaning to and fro on the uneven seagrass weave.
And there you have it…
We actually made over the whole room…
all because of one man’s desire to wall-mount the television.
In the end…it was a good decision. 🙂
Thanks, love.
I spent about $40 for paint, baskets, and fabric…
(I already had the spackle, glue, wax, and plaster of paris for the chalk paint.)
which is a bargain when you consider most of the new consoleswe saw started at around $300…that’s a $260 or more savings!
I can’t say exactly how long it took, but all in all only a few hours.The biggest time chunks were waiting for the glue and paint to dry.Definitely a quick weekend project.
It took me longer to find baskets that fit!
I can’t think of anything I would have done differently…well, except maybe have someone else apply wax and buff it off.Whew, my arm was tired!
How about you, would you have ever guessed how this piece began its life?
Got an old entertainment center that needs a makeover?
We think ours is pretty awesome and couldn’t be happier with it now.
Thank you to the amazing team at Remodelaholic for
inviting me to come and play today.
I had so much fun!
~Kelly~
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Thanks so much for visiting and sharing, Kelly! I’ll never pass up an outdated entertainment center again 🙂
Lorene has been behind the scenes here at Remodelaholic for more than a decade! She believes that planning projects and actually completing them are two different hobbies, but that doesn't stop her from planning at least a dozen projects at any given time. She spends her free time creating memories with her husband and 5 kids, traveling as far as she can afford, and partaking of books in any form available.
Hi! If you’re asking about the ones in MY photos…the one on the left is a Rodney White print I picked up at Tuesday Morning a while back…and the frieze on the right came from Hobby Lobby. 🙂
Kelly
Omg this could not of come at a better time for us. We are so going to do this with our old enertainment system! Thank yiu so much for writing this post. We are just finishing with a total gut and have started moving our furniture in from the barn just 2 days ago. I was trying to figure out what to do with the large screen. You so nailed it for me!!!!
This is great! How did you remove the top? Did you saw it off or use a crow bar or something else? I’m talking about the part with finished edges that you glued back on after sawing off the sides.
Hi…ours had these internal screws and pins that held the top on, but I suppose you could saw the top off just like we removed the sides from the bottom. Let me know if this helps.
Kelly
GENIUS! We just bought a new TV and a mount and don’t want to spend anymore to get a new table for underneath. I will be remodeling our old one this weekend, or at least starting it. Thanks for this and I will be sure to give you a ping back when I post mine on my blog!
Love it! I did the same thing with mine except for the paint. It went from old style tv cabinet to a bench under a big window for my cats to stretch out in the sun. I put a layer of foam underpad on top. Then I stapled a large runner mat over that.
Now after a move, it’s been re-purposed into a tv bench for a flat screen to sit on.
hmmm…. I do like the paint idea. Awesome!
Thanks for sharing, this is perfect timing! After waiting patiently for a buy-in, my hubby is ready to take on the challenge of repurposing our entertainment center to a coffee table. I hope it’s as easy as you demonstrate, the first cut is probably the most nerve wracking! Wish us luck!
Beautiful job with the entertainment center makeover. Very creative and wonderful style and color. My folks had an old entertainment center just like the one that you started with. Wish that I still had it so that I could try my hand at your project. Thanks for posting the great pictures and how to instructions.
Going out to look at some cast-off / reusable furniture pieces as soon as I can. Thanks again for posting inspiration…….Scott G. …..Rhinebeck, NY
Good evening! My husband recently wanted to mount the tv in the bedroom 🙁
but i was thrilled with the idea when i found your blog. I love this look, and actually imitated it for our bedroom. My only question is that I was wondering where you go t the planter with the cute little white flowers on it? the look is almost complete but I have been searching for days for a similar planter
Thanks so much for the inspiration and instruction!
I can’t think of anything I would have done differently…well, except maybe have someone else apply wax and buff it off.Whew, my arm was tired!
Thanks for featuring the mudroom bench and beverage station again.
We love your projects, Karen! Thanks so much for sharing!
I love, love, love the tv console and the mudroom bench!!! You did a fabulous job! Both pieces are stunning! Love the color too!! Thanks so much!!
Where did did you get the two pictures on the walls? There are both so pretty!
Hi! If you’re asking about the ones in MY photos…the one on the left is a Rodney White print I picked up at Tuesday Morning a while back…and the frieze on the right came from Hobby Lobby. 🙂
Kelly
That is amazingly brilliant! I love the color you chose too!
Thanks, Lauren!
Brilliant!
Omg this could not of come at a better time for us. We are so going to do this with our old enertainment system! Thank yiu so much for writing this post. We are just finishing with a total gut and have started moving our furniture in from the barn just 2 days ago. I was trying to figure out what to do with the large screen. You so nailed it for me!!!!
Hey, Mandy…happy to have been an inspiration. I’d love to see the final project! 🙂
Kelly
Thanks for having me over today! If anyone has questions, leave a comment and I will be notified. 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Kelly @ The Moon and Me
Thanks so much for being our guest, Kelly!!
Ummm…YES!! LOVE IT!! Totally, removed the inner wall and shelves a couple of years ago when we got a flat screen. Nice to know we weren’t alone.
Love it! Hubby and I debate all the time of getting rid of the big ol’ entertainment center.
I like this much better!
It’s a pretty simple project…just elbow grease and paint. Go for it!
Kelly
I did the exact same thing with the corner unit. Worked perfectly! Lots of people have told me they would never have guessed I cut it in half.
This is great! How did you remove the top? Did you saw it off or use a crow bar or something else? I’m talking about the part with finished edges that you glued back on after sawing off the sides.
Hi…ours had these internal screws and pins that held the top on, but I suppose you could saw the top off just like we removed the sides from the bottom. Let me know if this helps.
Kelly
GENIUS! We just bought a new TV and a mount and don’t want to spend anymore to get a new table for underneath. I will be remodeling our old one this weekend, or at least starting it. Thanks for this and I will be sure to give you a ping back when I post mine on my blog!
Thanks, KT! We’d love to have you send us a picture over on Facebook, too! https://www.facebook.com/Remodelaholic
Just found this through Pinterest …amazing. You are right the original console is usually cast off on curbs and in thrift stores.
Love it! I did the same thing with mine except for the paint. It went from old style tv cabinet to a bench under a big window for my cats to stretch out in the sun. I put a layer of foam underpad on top. Then I stapled a large runner mat over that.
Now after a move, it’s been re-purposed into a tv bench for a flat screen to sit on.
hmmm…. I do like the paint idea. Awesome!
Awesome! The paint makes it look like a whole new piece of furniture.
Kelly
Thanks for sharing, this is perfect timing! After waiting patiently for a buy-in, my hubby is ready to take on the challenge of repurposing our entertainment center to a coffee table. I hope it’s as easy as you demonstrate, the first cut is probably the most nerve wracking! Wish us luck!
Good luck! And we’d love to see a picture when you’re done!
Beautiful job with the entertainment center makeover. Very creative and wonderful style and color. My folks had an old entertainment center just like the one that you started with. Wish that I still had it so that I could try my hand at your project. Thanks for posting the great pictures and how to instructions.
Going out to look at some cast-off / reusable furniture pieces as soon as I can. Thanks again for posting inspiration…….Scott G. …..Rhinebeck, NY
So glad you like it! I’d love to see what you find!
Kelly
We are wanting to do something like this. I love the whole project. My question is where did you find the mount for your tv? Thanks.
Hi Shanna…we got the mount at Best Buy.
I enjoy the entertainment center re-due. I did a similar conversion here…
https://brainstormrodeo.wordpress.com/2014/12/29/old-entertainment-center-meets-new-tv/
It looks great! Good job on making it work!
Good evening! My husband recently wanted to mount the tv in the bedroom 🙁
but i was thrilled with the idea when i found your blog. I love this look, and actually imitated it for our bedroom. My only question is that I was wondering where you go t the planter with the cute little white flowers on it? the look is almost complete but I have been searching for days for a similar planter
Thanks so much for the inspiration and instruction!
Hi Michelle…the box was actually something I built out of some old barnwood https://kellysmoonlight.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-barnwood-flower-box.html
I’m glad you like it.
Thanks,
Kelly
Now that’s a use what you have mentality. It turned out beautifully!
will definitely have to book mark this so i can talk my son into letting me do this to his entertainment center that i gave him.
Definitely! And come share pictures when you’re done!