Shutter console table.

Whenever I have an idea or have a particular item that I want to repurpose, I turned to my trusted friend - Google Images. With Google Images, you can type in "decorating with suitcases" and you get a million and one pictures of ways people have decorated with suitcases. It's amazing and it's how I came up with my suitcase table.

So awhile back when I was perusing the aisles of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, I had noticed they had a wide variety of shutters and kept my eye on them until I finally picked one up last month. I ended up doing this with it but had turned to Google Images for some ideas and discovered the shutter table!!

I kept that idea in the back of my mind but it leaped to the front  when I saw the idea featured on the Nate Berkus Show!! That show is amazing and completely speaks to me in ways other talk shows never could!! If you're a decorator at heart and on a budget - you need to watch Nate!

So yesterday after work, I hopped on over to the ReStore (have I mentioned how much I love that it's literally 30 seconds from my office??) Anyhow, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered the perfect shutter for just $5 and 4 table legs for $8 - I was sold!  I was going to make a shutter console table that night!!

And I did!!!

I love it to pieces!!! It's the perfect size and would fit perfectly in an entry way or behind a sofa....for now it's simply staged in an empty bedroom. This is the raw version - no paint yet. The shutter itself was in pristine condition and won't need any sanding!

 I love the slats!! LOVE. THEM. They are perfect. And gorgeous. And perfect.

 I also love the "R" that I picked up at Michael's for $2. I do plan on spray painting it but haven't gotten around to it yet. I just threw this look together for the sake of the pictures and I'm looking forward to shifting things around a bit to find just the right staging.

And to address the issue of sturdiness and placing items on the slats directly - I would not put 50 pounds worth of stuff on this table but a vase, a few books, even a lamp would be a-okay!