This past week was Ethan’s birthday and I surprised him with a new TV and TV stand. As I looked around for a TV stand big enough to hold our 50″ Samsung DLP, most I found were pretty ugly - functional, maybe, but definitely too modern and cold for my taste. The ones I did like were way out of my price range. So I looked around online and found a winner at Target. It cost $309 (available online only), but I got free shipping and 15% off.

It came unassembled, but with Kim’s help, we had it assembled with little trouble in an hour and half. The directions were easy to read and everything was clearly labeled. I highly recommend having a friend help you assemble as it’s rather bulky for one person (I will let you borrow Kim if you can’t find one).

I love it! It is quite solid and will easily hold the weight of the TV and whatever is stored inside. Even though durability is important, those who know me understand that the look and style of the piece is most important to me. I am happy to say that it fits very well with the style of the room and is not intrusive with the decor. It also provides the perfect amount of storage for the DVD player and game systems, without being large and bulky.

The only down-sides of this TV stand are that it only comes in black (no wood tones) and you must assemble it yourself. Overall, it was well worth the money!

What do you think? Do you purchase furniture online?

While I was rummaging through some digital photos, I ran across this picture of a pot rack I designed and built at our prior house. It brought back all kinds of nostalgia for me. So, bear with me for a moment while I remember why I loved it.

Functionality

Our prior house had a dearth of cabinet space. We were constantly digging through the backs of cabinets to find the right frying pan, spatula, or skillet. The pot rack put all of our kitchen tools in plain site.

Good Use of Space

It’s not completely evident from this picture, but our prior kitchen had an awkward corner in it with no cabinets. We found a relatively tall cabinet for the base, but the space above was wasted until I built the rack.

Low Cost

I made the frame out of maple hardwood and two 1″ oak dows. Total cost of wood and hardware was about $60. A good amount of that can be attributed to the chain. Professional racks can cost anywhere from $100-$600.

Strong

We actually climbed in the attic to put cross-beams over and between the joists. The rack easily supported me (220lbs.) and the pots together.

Good Looking

I guess some folks don’t like the idea of pots hanging in their kitchen space, but I thought it made the whole place look a little more like a professional kitchen.

What do you think? Do you like/dislike pot racks?