If I had a dollar for every time I've said cool design doesn't have to cost a fortune, I'd be pretty darn rich! Well, guess what? It doesn't. The photo above is a great example of a fun, easy project that won't empty your bank account. Can you guess what this entry table is made of? A STAIR TREAD! Individual stair treads can be purchased at just about any hardware store and come with trim on three sides. For a small Manhattan apartment I created a big look in the entry by using space-saving principles (attaching the table to the wall with no back legs meant saving several inches of walking space while creating usable table surface area in the entry). Using one stair tread, two legs from a garage sale find and a few pieces of extra molding (cut for me at the hardware store), in a few easy steps I created a sleek, cool focal point in the entry way...for less than $20! So, if you're stuck wondering what to do in that tight space...step back, take a deep breath and get creative!
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION:
I've used stair treads all over houses (actually everywhere BUT on staircases lately). In a small bathroom with zero storage space I've used them for shelving (most already have trim and are painted and, believe it or not, cost far less than store-bought shelves), I've used them as floating night stands, shelving in a bar for bottles and, yep, in an entry way as a key catch and eye-catching design moment. In this case I used extra molding to hide the legs and simply asked an employee at Home Depot to cut them for me as I was in a rush that day. With wood glue and a little patience, I glued it all together then attached to the wall with two L brackets.
