Dare To Be Domestic

The fact of the matter is sometimes in your domestic life you gotta make do with what you have.  You run out of toothpaste, so you reach in your fridge for a little Arm & Hammer.  You throw a party and run out of linens, so you grab an old blanket and pretend it’s from Crate&Barrel—it’s all good.  Last week I was on the search for a piece in which to store the few books that I actually own.  (I’m more of a magazine kind of guy.)  I also needed a nightstand.  I didn’t want a big and bulky shelf, but I did want to display the books (hardbacks, no paper jackets!) in order to add interesting textures and colors to my room.  So I give you my book night table.

No, I’m not the first to think of this idea; you’ve likely seen it before.  I can even remember seeing a table of this type at a high-end furniture store for a couple hundred dollars.  But, with a little creativity, you can turn any keepsake into a piece of furniture that is both beautiful and functional.  Simply stack it, and if you’re feeling really fancy, add a glass top.  You can buy one for less than $10 at most arts and crafts stores.

In the same spirit of using what you have, I found this cool store/Website where nothing is wasted called T.O.M.T. (“The Other Man’s Treasures”).  Take a look and get inspired.  I mean I got a great bedside table for free by using my own books and a little imagination juice.  Now I’m always on the lookout for the next creative use for something I might have otherwise considered throwing away.

I often see old suitcases at thrift stores and have thought of using them as furniture.  But never did I think to add legs.  It's retro, creative and even provides a little hidden storage.  Very cool.  These are the Luggage End Tables, made with recycled luggage and oak legs.

For all you former band campers, break out your old instruments and put them to use.  This is called the Lighted Drum End Table, made of a drum, lamp, crutch leg, and glass.

Almost a little scary, but very cool at the same time.  This is called the Hose Table.  It's made of a garden hose, brass faucets, copper tubing, and glass.

And last but not least by any means is the Small Shovel Shelf made of what else, shovels and oak.  I hope you are getting the point that you don't need much to create one of these solutions yourself.

So get out your glue guns and have a blast using what you already have to make something you need.  Just ask yourself, "What would MacGyver do? "  I Dare You to be Domestic!