Day 59 / 306 The Art of Repurposing

Saylorville Lake Sunny 60 Degrees

Today is home improvement day. It seems we are constantly doing something to tweak our living space. My husband is the consummate modifier by nature making it inevitable that space will be built out for specific items and we aren’t afraid to dig in and change things.

When we bought this motorhome last summer, one of my least favorite features was the kitchen table. Not only was it too wide for the space in my opinion, it is ugly and dated with a Formica top that matches the countertop throughout. I am a big fan of repurposing and finding deals on Swap Sites and Garage Sales. Partly because I’m cheap, partly because consumer waste is something that makes me a bit crazy to watch. I cringe at the perfectly good stuff that gets tossed in our landfills.

Last night, after months of watching the online selling sites, I stumbled across a small butcher block style  kitchen table, it's the right size, in great condition. For 20 bucks it’s now mine.

RV dealers would love you to believe you need to buy their outrageously expensive RV specific furniture for the size and the specialized ways that they install so they don’t tip over. A replacement table at the local dealer was $675.00! Hooey! Here’s how we converted a drop leaf, 4-legged kitchen table into our new table that mounts to the wall like the old one and fits in the space nicely.

First, we took the leafs, that would take it from a small rectangle, to a 36” round, off, by removing the hinges. (Soon they will be repurposed into corner shelves for the bedroom.) Next we removed the legs and all the corner bracing that kept them sturdy and in place. We cut one rounded end off with a circular saw. Now we have a nice table that will fit snugly to the wall. We mounted two legs at the wall side using 39 cent L-brackets from the hardware store. We mounted a third leg in the center, toward the front to support the outer edge. Like the old table it is fastened ot the wall to support it and keep it from flying into the kitchen counters the next time we find ourselves on Oklahoma’s roads.  I am sitting at it writing this now. One more modification off the list and one less piece of furniture in the landfill. The extra table leg will likely end up painted a nice bright color and be in one of my flower beds at the summer campsite. The leftover bracing will eventuallyy end up being used as we continue to build out our storage compartments. As for the old Formica Table top, I’ll find someone who can use a sturdy, if not ugly table top for a garage table or planting table in their shed.

Here are some pictures of the transition.

Until tomorrow…

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