Repurpose a Beautiful Chest or Dresser Into a Kitchen Island or Bathroom Vanity

Welcome to the 583rd Metamorphosis Monday!

Recently I came across this beautiful kitchen on Instagram. I was so surprised to see how they had repurposed this beautiful sideboard, turning it into an island for the kitchen. It appears they had granite cut to exactly the same shape as the top of the sideboard. I’m so happy they didn’t paint over it because it’s a stunning piece! If I can find the original source for the photo, I’ll come back add that to the post.

 

Later that same day while checking out a listing for a beautiful 1907 Victorian Queen Anne home…

 

…I came across this photo. Here they’ve repurposed a beautiful drop-leaf table for use as a workspace here in the kitchen. With the addition of a few chairs, it could also serve as a table for meals.

 

It looks right at home in this vintage kitchen.

 

In the same home, they repurposed a dresser as a vanity for the bathroom.

 

 

I would be a little nervous about splashing water onto the surface. I wonder if they treated it with something to protect it?

Again, I’m so happy they didn’t paint over it. It always makes me sad to see a beautiful antique chest or dresser that’s still in great shape, painted over.

See more of this beautiful home where these photos were found here: 1907 Victorian Queen Anne home.

 

Unique Window/Chimney Design

This doesn’t have anything to do with today’s post but I had to share it! Recently while out on a walk around the neighborhood, we passed this beautiful home and I was amazed to see that it was designed with windows built into the chimney. Though I didn’t take a photo, there was a chimney on the other end and it had the same exact window design with windows built into the chimney.

Isn’t this amazing? I wish I had x-ray vision so I could see how the chimney is designed. I’m guessing the windows are walled off and the smoke from the chimney is being funneled around the windows on either side. I’m surprised they designed it this way since there are already so many windows on the ends of the home, but I do love the look! Have you ever seen this design in a home before?

Brick Chimney with Window Inside Chimney

 

Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday!

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Comments

  1. Donna Nance says

    That is a most unusual chimney! I love repurposing furniture. Not crazy about the trend to paint lovely old pieces. Back when I was a young bride in 1966, we would take pieces that had been painted and strip them back to the original wood finish. Some wood is not to my liking or is badly damaged and I can understand the urge to paint. Your home is full of lovely pieces and color. It is carefully curated with a discerning eye. By the way, are you familiar with Jonathan Charles furniture? We carried that at the last place I worked. It was out of my modest budget but I loved it.

  2. Dale gosling says

    Having a problem with your emails. Sometimes they come correctly but a lot go to Junk How can I fix that ?

    • Sorry that’s happening. In Gmail you can mark the email as being “not spam” and I think that normally makes it go to the Inbox from then on. What email program do you use?

  3. Hi Susan. From what I have heard and read I believe spar (or a boat finish) is used on pieces that are near water as in this vanity. Love all the pictures you have shared this morning.

    • Pat, My husband put spar varnish on our front door to prevent water from damaging it. I thought of the same for the dressers that are used for vanities.

  4. Joan Black says

    That sideboard is gorgeous…and, if they ever move, they could take it with them!

  5. Brenda Lawrence says

    I’ve seen antique dresser’s used a vanities before, but never as an island. I love the idea of using one as an island, just so beautiful and such a statement piece. I have never in my 60 years of life, seen windows in a fireplace chimney brick before! I’d love to know how this works as well and what it looks like on the inside of the home. Very cool looking though, but I would think an expensive thing to do, even with building from scratch. Love it as it isn’t something you see everyday! Hugs, Brenda

  6. Franki Parde says

    Creativity!! I just luv when a kitchen island is a unique piece!! Almost 40 years ago when we built our “weekend cabin”…now, our retirement home…we used a l920 & 1930 wash stands & converted them to bathroom sink/cabinets. We used brass sinks. Still functioning well!! franki

  7. wow, I would have never thought to repurpose a sideboard to the kitchen, but it does look great! Definitely outside the box thinking! Thanks Susan

  8. Windows in a chimney?!! What? I’ve never seen such a thing and it makes me wonder if they were put in later because the chimneys are no longer usable. Very interesting. I’d love to know the lowdown on that!

    Love the look of cream cabinets mixed with natural wood in a kitchen. Great idea to use an old piece of furniture, though I think most sideboards wouldn’t be deep enough for my liking (that one is huge!) I suppose you could cut the countertop to hang over. But that sideboard really is huge!

    The flouffy curtain around that clawfoot bathtub caught my eye right away. So girly. I love it. Nice post, Susan. Stay sane! lol.

  9. Susan, thank you so much for keeping up your inspiring posts even in these most difficult of times. We have
    a large antique Bombay chest with a lovely deep green marble top repurposed for one of our bathrooms. By some miracle I happened to find an antique Wedgwood sink that our workmen were able to adapt for
    the sink-bowl portion. I often wonder if the next owners will applaud it or say “oh let’s get rid of this old thing !” LOL
    Be safe, be well. Blessings of protection over you and your family.

  10. Ooh I love those chimney windows – how cool! I love the repurposed furniture too. People are so creative! Thanks as always for the inspiration and for hosting. I always find such great ideas! 😉

  11. Cynthia Blaylock says

    In that first photo, I wonder if they finished the backside of the sideboard to look similar to the front – normally the back would have built in a less-expensive, less-finished wood.

  12. So glad to see that “Met Mondays” are still in production. In the first photo, it looks like the oven color matches the ceiling. Windows in a chimney? Why?

  13. For those still looking for jigsaw puzzles, I can recommend puzzlewarehouse.com. Their website states they’ve added more than 30 staff members due to the demand. Great selection, although shipping is currently a bit slower than usual.

  14. Betty Anne Smith says

    My thoughts. I do not like to see beautiful wood furniture covered with paint unless it is in bad condition. It devalues the piece to me. The ones used near water I worry about them being destroyed because of the water and moisture in the bathrooms. I have many old pieces my mom bought in the 50′ and 60’s and she later refinished them to their natural beauty. They were cheap then because no one wanted them,

  15. Thanks so much for hosting each week! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  16. Bobbi Duncan says

    I love to see vintage/antique furniture re-purposed this way. The first time I ever saw this idea was when my friend did this to create vanities in two of her bathrooms. I believe she used spar varnish (?). She left the tops wood– no marble, etc. Water at the sink and steam from the shower did not seem to effect the finish over the years. We have a lovely, taller than average antique Chippendale lowboy that I want to use in the powder room. It has a gadroon (rope) edge that I love, but don’t think leaving the edge show around a marble top would look nice with this particular piece as it does on the sideboard with fancy edge you’ve posted. I HAVE seen a window in a brick chimney before. Remember the 1950’s log furniture store I told you about located in NJ named William Spencer’s? Well they had a little window above the fireplace mantle that I always thought to be so lovely. Hugs!

  17. Bobbi Duncan says

    Should’ve typed mantel, not mantle–always get that wrong. I need Grammerly lol!

  18. Victoria at Victoria Elizabeth Barnes blog is making an island out of an old baby grand piano. I hope she eventually gets her kitchen done; it’s going to be amazing!

  19. Thank you so much for hosting! This week I am excited to share my Easter basket ideas for him (a date night version!), my bunny hop easter tablescape, and some great hobbies for kids to take up! Hope you have a wonderful week, stay safe and healthy!

  20. Thank you so much for hosting! I loved the unique granite island and the unusual chimney. So glad I found you!

  21. Love those repurposed dressers. What a good idea!

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