A common design challenge is trying to decorate a room cluttered with a television, a stereo and a VCR. A great solution is to create an entertainment center from a piece of furniture. In this inventive furniture makeover, handyman James Hill explains the steps for turning an old armoire into an entertainment center. Note: - Keep in mind that modifying an antique piece can reduce its value.
Materials: Old armoire or wardrobe
1/4" plywood for the floor of the cabinet
Several pieces of 3/4" plywood (two for reinforcing the side panels and two or three for shelves)
Molding to trim the shelves
Black latex paint
Paintbrush
Metal shelving kit
Tape measure
Saw
Hammer
Screwdriver
Router
Hole saw
Drill
Brass brads
Finishing nails
Wood screws
Wood glue
- Remove the guts of the original cabinet. Make a new floor for the cabinet, if necessary, with a piece of 1/4" plywood. Paint it black, and install it with brass brads nailed around the perimeter.
- Cut 3/4" plywood reinforcement panels to fit each side of the cabinet, and use a router to cut a recessed groove for a pair of metal shelving strips (figure A). Paint the panels black. When the paint is dry, use a hammer to lightly tap the metal shelving strips into the grooves, making sure the strips are right side up. Attaching the shelving strips by hammering in the nails that come with the shelving kit (figure B).
- Set the reinforcing panels in place inside the unit. The sides of the armoire are too thin for attaching the panels, so nail them to the corners of the unit into angled pilot holes (figure C). Secure the boards from the back of the unit with 3 screws on each side.
- Shelves made from 3/4" plywood will be strong enough to support heavy electronics. Cut them a little narrower than the depth of the armoire so there's space for power cords at the back of the unit. Finish the front of each shelf with a strip of molding attached with wood glue and brads. Paint the shelves black before installing them.
- Attach the metal shelf clips to the shelving strips (figure D), and set the shelves in place.
- Cut a hole in the back of the unit if necessary, to accommodate the depth of the TV. Use a hole saw to cut holes in the back of the armoire to accommodate the cords. If you plug all the electronics into a power strip you'll need to cut only two holes -- one for the power strip and one for the cable or antenna wires.
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