before and after

before & after: cheese box nightstands

by Kate Pruitt

Everyone has his or her own opinion about nightstands. Some people reject the idea of any nightstand without hidden storage, while others gravitate toward slim stools, floating shelves or sculptural blocks — perhaps to prevent clutter or because they prefer the minimalist look. Personally, I can see the value of both sides, but I daresay this inventive repurposing of old cheese boxes from Alice Ko might satisfy both camps. The rustic worn-wood box looks elegant and minimal beside the bed but also provides a place to tuck things away. I haven’t come across many of these boxes, but this project has inspired me to keep a look out and snag one if I see it. Nice work, Alice! — Kate

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See the how-to after the jump . . .

Time: 30 minutes

Cost: $137 for two nightstands ($55 each for cheese boxes; $15 for castors; $12 for nuts, bolts and washers)

Basic Steps: Turn the cheese box upside down and position the three castors where you want them to be. Use a pencil to mark where you’ll drill the holes. Use the right sized bit to drill the holes, then fasten the castors to the cheese box with the bolts. Turn the box over carefully and place the washers over the bolts. Fasten the nuts to each of the bolts, and you’re done!

My advice is to drill pilot holes into the bottom of the cheese box first to get a sense of how thick the wood is before going out to get nuts, bolts and washers. We had to go back to the store and return the bolts we initially got because they were too short. — Alice

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