Laundry Cart Makeover / DIY

Hi ~ we're back from our family vacation (it's always nice to take a break from life for a few days!) ~ and I'm excited to share this wonderful old laundry cart project with you.  I found the cart at a flea market ~ in this condition.  All that was left of it, was it's skeleton frame and the casters it came on. 

 

I decided to make a table out of it and headed over to Orr-Reed Wrecking Co. ~ a wonderful salvage yard in Dallas ~  to see what I might come up with for a top.  It's always one of my favorite spots for salvaged materials.  This iconic, architectural salvage hot spot has undergone quite the transformation recently (you gotta see it) and is chock full of wonderful inventory.  If you live in the area, you definitely need to pay them a visit and please be sure and tell them I sent you.  

After scavenging at Orr-Reed's for awhile, I decided on some old tongue and groove wood flooring for my project.

Once I got the wood home, I decided to use the backside of the flooring for the topside of my table.  There was no particular reasoning involved ~ I just liked the way it looked and preferred it over a smooth surface. 

After I determined the finished measurement for the tabletop, I cut the boards to the desired length.  Then I interlocked the boards together and secured them to each other by adding a support strip to the back ~ making sure to screw each board to the strip of wood. 

Next, I used electrical strapping and screws to attach the top to the cart base.  

I pre-drilled the holes and screwed the straps to the underside of the tabletop. 

As you can see, I attached two straps to each end of the tabletop and one on each side ~ this secured the top to the base. 

Loving this piece already!!!



Lastly, I sanded the top with a electric sander and then applied a coat of polyurethane to it with a brush. 

If I had a big old loft apartment, I would use the cart as an entry table (sigh...wishful thinking).  Here's how I have it arranged today ~  although I could easily change my mind and move it tomorrow.  :)  I'll be sharing more tattered style goodness soon ~ hoping this week is a good one for you!

Wisteria Cart

This post has the potential of sounding like a poorly written *commercial ~ but what can I say? The facts are the facts!  Storage space is scarce in my home so I'm always on the lookout for additional ways to creatively store items.  I fell for a vintage baker's cart at Round Top but practicality was an issue.  

Luckily I ran across this cart at the Wisteria Outlet.  Although it's newly constructed, it has been made from reclaimed lumber so it has the feel of a vintage piece to me. I love it not only because it has ample space to stash everyday essentials like dishes and linens but it also provides a great space for display.   It fits beautifully in this little nook in my dining room.  

  

It's no surprise ~ I love the casters ~ they make it easy to move from room to room.  Which is a good thing for me ~ invariably it will end up in another room in due time.  Another great feature is the way the iron detail frames the piece out ~ it adds character out the wazoo! 

A great place to display my vintage scale collection, crocks, ironstone and more!

This little corner is a little slice of heaven for me ~ the open shelf unit has the feeling of a Parisian style kitchen.  It also holds some of my favorite flea market finds ~ maybe it's a good thing I don't have much storage space in my house. :)  

*See what I mean?