Karen’s ReStore Project: DIY Buffet

Karen and her husband live in a small bungalow in northeast Minneapolis, which she described as "wonderful, unless you like lots of storage." Specifically, the kitchen in their home has limited storage and cupboard space, as well as low, narrow counter space. On a mission to add more working and storage space, Karen visited ReStore. Karen and her husband have been frequent ReStore shoppers during the past few years, so they knew it was a good place to look for a great deal. Karen found a beautiful, high-quality maple buffet at the New Brighton location, but it wasn't quite their style. With a creative eye, though, Karen was able to see the buffet's potential and brought it home to begin its transformation.

Since the buffet was heavy, Karen decided to do the project right in their kitchen. She started by removing the top shelf, scuffing the surfaces, and whitewashing the wood to brighten the cabinet. Then, she added a butcherblock top to create more space for chopping ingredients and rolling dough. "The piece is so solid—it's as stable as our built-in cabinets," she said. "It's great. Now we have cupboard space and a worktop." (That top shelf Karen removed from the buffet? She donated it back to ReStore!)

Karen and her husband have done many other DIY projects around their home, sometimes with supplies, materials, tools, and hardware from ReStore. Most recently, they created garden boxes with leftover tin siding and cedar from a garage project. They've also donated tools to ReStore. Reusing and repurposing has been important to Karen from a very young age: growing up, she helped her parents sort glass for recycling. "My parents grew up in the Depression era," she explained. "My dad was clever and used, kept, and reused items. My husband is the same way now. We're all about reusing."

Inspired by Karen's DIY project? Explore our library of DIY projects and guides!

Whether you're looking for a piece you can use as-is or are searching for materials to make your DIY dreams come true, ReStore is the place to start! Don't forget to sign up for Hot Deals emails or VIP texts to save even more.