How to Re-purpose an Old Bookshelf
Home Improvement

How to Re-purpose an Old Bookshelf

The explosion of fast furniture in the UK over the past couple of decades has led to a glut in old shelving in our home. These pieces might be perfectly functional, but due to color, style or chips no longer suitable as bookshelves. But luckily there are a host of bloggers out there re-purposing their shelving Ireland and beyond. And some of these ideas are so good you might end up buying more shelves just to try them out.

  1. New Headboard
    Bed headboards tend to be ridiculously expensive for what they are, and if you by a cheap one, flimsy too. However, a re-purposed shelf makes a great substitution. All you need to do is affix some ply board, padding, and fabric to the lower half and leave the upper half free for books. You can even paint it to match your duvet.

Living Room

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    1. Living Room Bar
      In the 1970s, the living room bar was a must-have in the UK, but style overkill soon sent them soaring out of style. However, with a little paint and imagination, an old set of shelves can make the perfect corner bar. Add half a table to create a real bar feel and then stack your glasses and bottles on the side.
    2. Garden Planter
      Planting containers don’t come cheap. Even the self-assembly wood frames cost a small fortune. But by unscrewing the backboard of your old shelves, you can get the same product for free. And even if you don’t have any shelves going spare, you can pick up good second-hand ones at places such as rackzone.ie/shelving/industrial-residential-shelving.
    3. Doll House
      This idea isn’t a new one. In fact, early dollhouses were often just the interior of cupboards. But it’s hard to look at some of these cube-shaped shelves and not see a dollhouse in waiting. Fibreboard and MDF are relatively easy to work with, and all you need to do structurally is add a roof. Get wallpaper samples for free from your local DIY shop and you’re halfway there.
    4. Coffee Table
      Why pay hundreds for a fashionable, low-lying coffee table when you have an old shelf going spare? A sheet of toughened glass and a new coat of paint and it’s ready to go. You can even leave in some old books for a quirky look.

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