what to do with old TV cabinets? [Archive]

View Full Version : what to do with old TV cabinets?

pinkytoe

6-1-12, 9:19am

Somewhere in our long marriage, we have acquired two of those must have items of the 80s and 90s - the entertainment cabinet. Large, doored solid wood storage units to hold your antiquated TV and related stuff of that era. Now you can't give them away on craigslist even though many cost close to $1000 when new. So...tryiing to think of creative uses for the cabinets or their wood. The only thing that comes to mind is liquor cabinets but don't need one of those. Any creative thoughts?

Float On

6-1-12, 9:23am

http://betterafter.blogspot.com/

I love this blog for looking at old things and turning them into something new. I know there have been entertainment cabinet projects done on there, maybe look thru some of the archives and you'll come up with a good idea or two.

Mrs-M

6-1-12, 9:33am

How about a nifty wine cabinet? With diamond-cube racks.

Mrs-M

6-1-12, 9:44am

To add, of you have a garage, cabinets like the ones you have make for great chemical/paint/odds and ends, storage units.

Heck, just think about all the homemade canning you could store in them!

iris lily

6-1-12, 10:39am

This doesn't answer your question, but I've been staring at my beautiful Victorian secretary, noting that NOW our tv is so slim that it could easily fit into that cabinet, solving a decorating problem for me. But I absolutely cannot bring myself to drill holes in the back of this 120 year old piece for the cords. Won't do it. Tempting, though, very tempting.

Fortunately we skipped the whole generation of "entertainment" cabinetry because our living room was a work in progress with ladders and table saws as the furniture.

OP, it's interesting that you find there is no market for these things because I've been wondering exactly that same thing. The tv's are getting wider and won't fit into the cabinetry made for them even though their modern depth would fit.

pinkytoe

6-1-12, 11:08am

I actually googled what to do with old entertainment armoires and came up with quite a few sites. There is even a company out there that is retrofitting all the ones that used to be in upscale hotel rooms.
Apparently, many are being thrown into landfills. What a waste of good wood...

simplelife4me

6-2-12, 12:17pm

I sold, on craigslist, a $1000 Hooker (manufacturer ; )) cabinet for $300 back in 1997 when I was moving. I still have one more that I kept.

redfox

6-2-12, 12:44pm

Mine is my sewing room supply cabinet. When we re-do the garage/studio, we're going to grab giveaway ones from CL for shelving.

decemberlov

8-9-12, 3:12pm

I've seen quite a few of these kitchen play sets repurposed from tv stands on pinterest...love them, they're absolutely adorable!!

866

iris lily

8-9-12, 9:38pm

Those child play kitchens are fab!!!! I mean it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stella, aren't you turned on by these?

fidgiegirl

8-9-12, 10:14pm

Even DH likes the play kitchen!!! We don't even have kids! He is concocting a side business in his head right now! :)

Tussiemussies

8-10-12, 12:56am

If you have grandchildren, you can cut off the shelving, leaving the base and decorate and paint it all to be a play kitchen. I saw this done on Facebook and it was adorable. They even installed a tiny sink and faucet. The shelves
can be painted as a component and be the open cabinet where all the plastic plates, cups etc. are stored...