Are you the kind of person who can't wait to buy new stuff, or do you prefer to let the old stuff wear out first?
When it comes to furniture, clothes, and electronics, my motto is "If it's not broke, don't replace it." But what if it is broken?
Instead of working with virgin materials, California resident Kristi Kuehl spends her days searching thrift stores and antique markets for pieces that were once fabulous but have now fallen into disrepair.
When she happens upon a dusty, sometimes dilapidated old treasure — like these picture frames — she takes it back to her workshop and uses her DIY smarts to give it new purpose.
In this case, she took a dusty, broken old pump organ that probably hadn't seen the light of day for decades, and turned it into a stylish wine bar that serves as a conversation piece and a way to keep happy hour supplies perfectly organized.
Scroll through below for a glimpse at this incredible DIY undertaking!
This is what the pump organ looked like when Kristi found it on its way to the dump.
Most people would only be able to see a once-great instrument that had been damaged beyond repair, but not Kristi.
She took the instrument back to her workshop and began the challenge of turning it into something we'd all want to display in our homes.
The first step was to take out all of the guts — the keys, bellows, knobs — that allowed the organ to make music once upon a time.
Kristi wrote: "It was a very dirty job!"
Then it was time to make some minor repairs to the organ so that it could be a functional piece of furniture again.
First, Kristi replaced the organ's missing back with reclaimed barn wood.
Then, she used the same reclaimed wood to add a top shelf and a front board where the keys used to live.
Here, you can see the barn wood in the back, and the new shelf and front board.
It already looks like a lovely vintage piece worthy of your finest knickknacks! But Kristi wasn't done yet…
Now that all the necessary parts were in working order, it was time for Kristi to refinish the organ.
She decided to keep the roll-top key cover in place, since it's such a handy way to tuck things out of sight!
For the refinishing, Kristi used her own brand of 100 percent nontoxic paints and finishes.
She wrote: "My choice was Derby with the Matte Protective Finish and Chestnut Protective Wood Stain."
After the finish had dried, it was time to set up the wine bar so it could be displayed in all its glory.
The best part is that you can still tell it was an old organ, thanks to the pedals and the roll-top — what a great way to save a piece of vintage furniture from the landfill!
Check out more of Kristi's restoration work on her blog, Pieces of Time.
Have you ever restored an old piece of furniture? Tell us about it in the comments.
Please SHARE with all of the DIY-lovers in your life!
