Repurposing Is Our Friend!

At the beginning of this year, we moved from a very small one bedroom apartment into a much more spacious 3/2 house. Wonderful! Unfortunately, we did lose some things in the move. Namely our kitchen prep space! Granted we have much more walking room than we did in the galley-style apartment kitchen, our counter space is seriously lacking. Add in appliances and various odds and ends and it was whittled down to virtually none. So, easy fix right? Just get one of those assembly-required kitchen island carts. Done. Right? Well yeah, for about $350 that I'm not willing to spend! Plan B, repurpose!

We have one of those short bookcases that has, throughout its lifetime, been used as about a million things other than a bookcase. Well, now it has found a new incarnation. I used a spare piece of MDF (it was originally a floating desk top in the apartment) and laminated it at work. You could easily just paint it or use wipe-able contact paper to cover. MDF is not very water-resistant on its own right... Since I wanted the finished product to be counter height, about 36", I had a 4" riser built to set it on. I know at one point I had a shoe rack or somesuch that would have been perfect for this! No building needed! Unfortunately it has since relocated itself. C'est la vie. I bought four 2" casters (swivel wheels) at Home Depot and a few screws to put the whole thing together. Total cost: $15. Yes, FIFTEEN DOLLARS. If you already have screws, take that down to about $10! Compared to nearly $400, I'll take it! Other pros are that you can customize the size, height, and color of it with ease! Take that Ikea. Take that!