How to Convert an Armoire
The advent of flat, wall-mounted televisions and compact laptops has made many media armoires obsolete. Many people used these armoires to hide bulky, unattractive electronics, but sleeker electronic shapes and styles have erased the need to hide them. This leaves many people with seemingly useless, bulky media armoires on their hands.
Though these armoires no longer store what the makers intended, they are still attractive storage. Instead of sending your armoire to a landfill, refit it to hold something else.
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Things You'll Need
- Hand drill
- Wood
- 1 inch screws
- L-brackets
- Dowel rods
- Stain
- Varnish
- Level
- Wall mirror
- Plastic drawers
Instructions
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Remove all innards from your armoire. Unscrew CD and DVD racks, take out keyboard shelves and rid the inside of all the material you can so that you have a hollow space to start from. You may leave some of the larger shelves and drawers intact, as this may mean less work later.
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Examine the back wall of your armoire. If it is solid wood with only small wiring holes, you can leave it alone. If it has large holes or a cardboard back, stain a piece of plywood the same color as the armoire and screw it to the back for stability.
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3
Make a new wardrobe by cutting a 2- to 3-inch thick dowel rod to fit across the top inside of the armoire. Drive screws through the side walls from the outside into the ends of the dowel. Hang a lightweight mirror on the inside of one of the doors, and leave a drawer or a shelf to store toiletries and accessories.
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Measure the tallest object you want to store and add the thickness of your shelves to this measurement. Make pencil marks near the front edge of each wall of the armoire at these intervals. For instance, if you want to shelve 10-inch books and your shelves are 1-inch thick, make your marks 11 inches apart, starting at the bottom and moving up. Draw more marks near the back of the armoire, parallel to the front marks.
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Cut, sand and stain boards that are as wide and deep as your armoire. Screw L-brackets into the bottom of each shelf, two lined up with the front edge and two with the back. One arm of the bracket should be flat against the bottom of the shelf while the other sticks down from the shelf at a 90-degree angle.
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Line up the holes in the lower arms of each L-bracket with your pencil marks and screw them into the armoire. You may need a friend to hold the shelves steady to ensure they stay level. The L-brackets give the shelves a sturdy base and can be removed if you want to repurpose your armoire later.
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Tips & Warnings
Decide what you want to use the armoire for. For a new wardrobe closet, get a thick wooden dowel rod and a mirror. For a china or liquor cabinet, get plenty of wood for new shelving. If making a bookshelf, you may want to remove the doors, unless you are storing antique books that require a dark, cool space.
