Unexpected Workstations from Flea-Market Finds
DIY Repurposed Workstations
Start by visualizing your old furniture re-purposed into work centers, and then expand your imagination to yard-sale finds and flea-market furniture, for best pricing possible. Better Homes & Gardens online offers unique ideas for multipurpose workstations that could be easily copied with your finds, and modified to suit your family’s needs.
Islands in the Kitchen
Turn an old metal and marble-topped entry table into a multipurpose baker’s rack with rolling and cutting board, as well as “Storage for a Stand Mixer“. This repurposed island workstation doubles as decorative storage and bonus counter space, when not in use.
Roll out a hidden “Ingenious Island” for meal preparations, and then roll it back under table or kitchen island when not in use. Wheels can be easily added onto any sturdy, brightly-painted table for a mobile-prep station.
Turn an old gardening table into a cook’s station that’s “Packed with Storage” to include everything necessary for the preparation of garden-fresh meals and baking delights. Attach a butcher’s block tabletop, with pull-out wire baskets directly below, paper-towel and rolling-pen racks, plus any other chef’s tools needed to personalize your very own cooking station. Just leave enough room for storing tall kitchen appliances on the lower wood-plank shelving.
Customize an older-model buffet side-table, or hi-fi cabinet with a marble topper and natural-wood finishing. Add sliding cupboard doors, or leave open shelving for cookbooks as displayed in “Built to Suit“.
Home-Office Workstations
Combine a used dining table with a buffet cabinet to become a multipurpose crafting station or home office, as seen in this creative “Space Saver“. By removing 2 of the dining-table legs the buffet should slide right underneath. Beautify with a coat of paint and prepasted wallpaper samples (see DIY tips in “Prepasted Wallpaper Scrap Decor for Afternoon Crafting“).
What can you do if you find an antique dining table and chairs as we did (pictured above) and don’t want to replace the beautifully crafted wood tabletop or leafs? You can still create a multipurpose home office, suited to completing domestic duties at the same time. To protect the woodwork, simply drape a colorful tablecloth over (placing hot-plate protectors underneath small cooking appliances) and then add your laptop with office necessities for multitasking as needed.
Hunt down an old desk with hearty legs; attach a bookcase, and a marble or granite top, to make this “Family Central” multi-tasking office the focal point of your kitchen. Show off bead-board bookcase with bright white paint, add chairs, and an optional built-in sink (or not).
Family Room Organizing
Why not covert two low coffee-tables into one game-size table to accommodate basket organizing, for a functional family-game center as seen “In the Family Room“? Tall legs could also be cut to desired height from an old dining table with built-in shelving, to create the same type of multipurpose game table and storage.
Make a free-standing multipurpose pantry storage center from an old armoire or double-stacked cabinets. Refinish & organize to suite your family’s needs as shown in this video-short “Kitchen Pantry“. Workstation possibilities are endless, using the ideas given here along with a few great money-saving flea-market finds!
