The Time I Went in for a Bookshelf and Got a Kitchen Island for Free

Every once in a while, you hit gold at the thrift store or salvage yard, right? That one day that everything seems to be going your way and you find that one ____________ (fill in the blank) you are looking for, and life is good. I had a day like that recently. Here’s the story.

Here’s a picture of what my son’s room used to look like:

It was a mess. Like a bookstore/toy store/sporting goods store exploded.

My son is a packrat. He also – like his mother – likes to see the stuff he has (see the kitchen post re one reason why I love open shelving). At the old house, his room had built-in shelves; he doesn’t have that kind of storage here. We needed a solution. And by we, I mean me, because I was growing weary of this mess.

The other problem in his room was that it was dark. The curtains, which hung to the floor, just sucked the light out of the room. He has six big windows – no point in hiding them. Look at the difference:

And, with that, I was on a mission. I knew I had to: (1) find better storage for this room, preferably to fit under the window; and (2) hem the curtains so that more light could come in.

I had my marching orders, so I set to shopping. I went a few places, then went to my favorite thrift store. I waited to go there because, honestly, I wasn’t sure they’d have what I was looking for.

I walked in the door and immediately saw this:

I couldn’t believe it. Right there, when I walked in! It was fate! It was kismet! It was the right height and length! BOOM!

The price tag on it said: “(2) $49.99.”

The “(2)” on the tag means there are two pieces that are being sold together. But I didn’t see the second piece; I assumed the bookcase just came apart. So, I found a helper and asked.

Me: “What’s the second piece? Does it come apart?”

Helpful Thrift Store Employee: “No, the second piece is this table.”

Holy cow.

And these are not lightweight, in-bad-shape pieces. No ma’am/sir. These were handmade and are solid wood. Which means they are also quite heavy.

I brought them both home and cleaned them up. Once they got a good cleaning, the richness of the stain came through and they were shining stars again.

The bookcase made its way to my son’s room. It was perfect.

Note that I also “hemmed” the curtains into blinds. (To learn how to make these, see this post.) I put “hemmed” in quotes because I can’t really sew. I used Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive, 4-Ounce
(<–affiliate link) to glue the hems. The shades are adjustable: I like the top open because of the gorgeous windows, but, at night, the shades go up to fully cover the window.

It’s much brighter, even with the shade all the way up.

And, finally, his room is much neater and more organized!

All the stuff from the old bookcase and from his dresser fits on these shelves. And they’re pretty!

I know you’re asking yourself now: what about the table?

I turned it into a kitchen island!

My cookbooks now rest on the bottom shelf.

Who knew I’d go in for a bookcase and come out with a kitchen island, too? Score!

What’s your best thrift store find or deal? Leave a comment and tell me all about it!

Thanks for stopping by!