I know, I know. Dressers weren’t made to for T.V.’s. But I love the idea of having an dresser as an entertainment stand because there is so much storage inside! It completely eliminates the need for a separate place to store DVDs and the like. When you are low on extra space like we are, being able to remove unnecessary furniture and storage equipment is a blessing.

We’ve had this particular piece for about 6 years now. We purchased it on Craigslist for around $25, which was totally a steal. Originally, it had a warm light oak stain and finish on it, but we quickly decided that we wanted it painted white. It also came without any knobs, so we ordered these cool round drop pulls.

Inside we store tons of stuff…

GAMES, ETC. – This drawer holds all of our Wii and PlayStation games and accessories. (Both of those consoles are behind the T.V.)

BABY STUFF – I babysit for my cousin’s son a few days a week and we keep all of his extra diapers, wipes and clothing corralled in here.

CORDS – USB cords, extra electronic cords, random chargers, etc.

VHS TAPES – Yes, I still have a few hanging around, even though we do not have a player for them. Most of them are dance performances and family videos that I just can’t let go.

DVDs – The top row of drawers (and middle two on the left) hold all of our DVDs which are kind of alphabetized. That means they used to be, but my two kids and husband threw my Type A tendencies to the wind. Makes me want to re-organize just thinking about it.

I would love to be able to consolidate our DVDs, but that is a project for a later date!

Obviously, this dresser is super useful to our family. It needs a little help in the decor area, but I’ve mocked up a little vision that I had for the space.

The hubs seems to think we should forgo any decorating to keep the space simple, but I kind of like the idea of adding a little faux life in the form of topiaries and a rustic touch with an old shutter. What are your thoughts? Have you ever used a random piece of furniture as entertainment stand?

Don’t you just love a good makeover? There is something completely satisfying to us about taking furniture that’s old, unwanted, or just in bad shape and creating a beautiful piece from it that can be enjoyed again. That’s why we wanted to re-share some of our favorite furniture transformations from the blog.

Nightstand Makeover

Hardware Change-A-Roo

Dining Chairs Update

Adventures in Upholstery

Finial Bed Risers

Ikea Apa Storage Makeover

Vanity Makeover

Kids’ Table Makeover

Lazy Upholstering

Scoop Chair Redo

Painting Upholstery

Numbered Counter Stools

DIY Dining Table

Patio Makeover

French Lettered Milking Stool

Wow, all of these photos really have me motivated to work on something. Catch ya later! I’m off to grab my paint brush.

Neither Emily nor I have man caves in our homes. Sure, our husbands would probably love a space to call their own, but I would like a dance studio and craft room and that’s probably not happening anytime soon. So, I bet you are wondering what this post is actually about then. We were selected by a new company called Man Crates Gifts for Men to highlight what we would gift a guy looking to decorate his new man cave for their “Man Cave Makeover” campaign.

First of all, we just wanted to say that Man Crates creates and ships awesome actual wooden crates filled with goodies that your man will need to open with a crowbar. Just the perfect way to get the testosterone flowing. The point is to try and eliminate some of the troubles that come with figuring out which gifts to buy for men. We’ve all been there, contemplating another bland neck tie or stinky cologne, just so you have something to wrap up and give.

Anyway, as far as man caves go, we decided to give everything an overhaul and get away from the typical dark and dingy spaces, sprucing things up a bit with neutral textures and industrial touches. No micro-fridges or neon signs allowed.

Our chosen items (starting on the left side and working our way around clockwise):

1. This industrial Emerson Shelving unit will make a great addition to the man cave because it can moonlight as many different characters. Is it a drink station, snack bar, bookshelf, or game holder? Maybe it could be all of the above. And everything can be kept organized in these great Byholma baskets.

2. Curtains are probably an item that easily get ignored when decorating throwing together a man cave, but they look much better than mini blinds and can help keep the glare off of the television during the big game. These Parlbuske Beige Curtains paired with Threshold™ Hammered Ball Drapery Rod would work great.

3. Bring a little life in with some greenery, like the Ficus Pandurata Bush in the Potatis plant pot. My husband wanted to make sure we mentioned that he thought we should only be including faux plants, since live ones would actually require work.

4. Cast Resin Deer Antlers add a great outdoorsy feel to the room.

5. Adding a large Old World Map poster print is a great way to save some money on art. And building your own frame for it is the perfect reason to break out the power tools.

6. This Bronze Pendant Light also has a wonderful industrial feel that fits the space well.

7. A comfy place to sit is a must, but we decided to forgo the traditional recliner and opt for the Burnham Leather Sofa.

8. The Hermine Throw will help keep him cozy.

9. These Natural Tree Stump Side Tables are also great for many uses. Pull one up in front of the couch as a footstool. Move it to the side and set your drink down. They can even work as extra seating in a pinch.

10. Scotch Tumblers – Do these really need an explanation?

So that pretty much sums it up! What do you think? Emily and I also thought a nice, soft, light colored rug would really pull the space together, but both of our husbands nixed the idea, claiming that it would require more work for the room, i.e. vacuuming and stain removal. Boys can be such party poopers, but you got to love ’em! Some day our husbands will hopefully have man caves of their own that we can decorate, but for now, this is the vision they will have to live with.

I usually don’t go all out on decorating for the holidays. Of course there are a few times a year that get a little more festive than others, but typically, for Fall, we only decorate a few pumpkins and call it a day. However, after reading Bre’s post (25 No Mantel Fall Decor Ideas), I decided to get a little creative spooky and add some fun decor to our console table.

I don’t really know what to call this area. It is just around the corner from our foyer and at the bottom of the stairs. Is it an entryway? Hall? Or something else? $5 goes to the person who can correctly label this space. Kidding!

To decorate the area, I pulled together a lot of items from around the house and also grabbed a few items from the dollar store (candles, crow, etc.) You may recognize the Cable Spool Clock and the Budget Friendly Glass Hurricane.

I decided to add the bats after I remembered that we had shared a great bat printable last year. They add a little something extra. I printed, cut out, and then traced it onto black card stock. And as far as placement, I decided just to wing it. Ha ha!

Print out your own flying insectivore (those are fancy words for a bat) below.

Click the image below for the free PDF link. Please download the file and open with Adobe Reader to ensure proper print sizing. When printing, make sure that Page Scaling is set to “Fit Printable Area” and Borderless Printing is selected.

So what do you think? Did we nail it or is this table scape just a bit too batty for you?

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Check out our Halloween Party Invitation Printables for you upcoming shindig!

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