When Amy and Parke Young purchased the classically-styled, fruitwood entertainment center from Breuner’s in 1999, it was probably one of the biggest purchases they had made as a couple. But when a flat screen TV arrived last year for the living room wall, the entertainment center seemed almost obsolete.
“I loved the glass bookcases and the central armoire, so what was I going to do with it?” said Amy, who lives near San Jose’s Municipal Rose Garden. “I wasn’t going to throw it away.”
With Super Bowl Sunday coming up Feb. 1, and analog TVs on their way out two weeks later, many families with new TVs have been facing the same dilemma. Amy Young came up with an idea: repurpose the entertainment center as a living room bar, replete with liquor bottles, stemware and ice buckets. Not only did it free up cabinet space in their small kitchen, but it encouraged her guests to leave the crowded kitchen and circulate in the living room.
Here’s how she did it:
1. Assembled four men to remove the old TV.
2. Laid granite tiles left over from a bathroom project on the floor of the main shelf to catch drippage and add a luxury “counter top” look.
3. Lined the back wall with fabric.
4. Leaned a large, framed mirror on the back wall.
5. Screwed in hanging rack on the bottom of the upper VCR shelf, hung upside-down stemware below and placed ice buckets and her aunt’s 1960s highball glasses above.
6. Added plastic risers from The Container Store, often used in kitchen cabinets, to elevate liquor bottles for better access and viewing.
7. Added small lamp to illuminate cabinet as well as add style.
“It was a pretty easy ‘do-it-yourself’ project,” Amy said. “I was in there with the screwdriver — Parke was laughing at me the whole time — but it turned out just fine.”
There are still signs of the original use of the armoire. The lower cabinet is filled with her sons’ DVDs. But Amy has another idea: She’s looking for a small wine refrigerator that will fit. Then, she said, it will be complete.
Update:
This post is featured in the San Jose Mercury News Home and Garden section here.
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That was such a great idea to convert the armoire cabinet! She is so creative to come up with converting it to a home bar. Way to go. I’ll have to remember that for future little fix-ups with old furniture.
I’m so glad you are inspired! Here’s another idea for an old TV armoire: turn it into a gift wrap center!
My wife came up with this same idea many months back, the challenge we had was finding those slotted, bar-type overhead glass holders. But once we did, it was instant success. I do like the mirror in back idea and the risers, tips we’ll pick up on. We did convert the lower chamber into wine rack but not a wine cooler, maybe someday. Thanks, nice piece, great photo.
Great idea and one that comes up more and more now. Haven’t heard the gift wrap center idea before. Maybe I should be wrapping more presents!
Thanks for your comment on my post at Nesting Place!
Remodeling Guy