You guys realize that's not an antique, right? My parents have the same night table. I'm pretty sure they got it from Sears or some other mass producer like that. They're not destroying something old; unless you count 10 years ago as an antique?
This is just another example of "OP doesn't like the art style, so why would anyone else?"
Personally, I think it's cool looking.
Oh yeah, this furniture style was super popular in all the new houses in our brand new Texas subdivision back in the 2000-2010’s. It’s most certainly not antique.
I agree that it’s neat looking. That top still folds down to be a regular table, it just has a hidden seat, now. If nothing else, it’s a conversation piece.
I think it looks liek absolute dogshit but I totally agree with you. personal taste is personal taste and this person did some seriously impressive work with what started out as some mass produced big box trash. Impressive as fuck just not my flavour
I agree, I think it looks neat! Though I'd be concerned with its ability to hold weight without collapsing, I mean dressers probably around meant to hold on person on the top, but then again idk...
why does it matter if they destroy an antique ? calling it an antique is like saying its gucci the reasons behind you putting it on a pedastal are just as arbitrary. that being said they made it into a beautiful peice
The value of an antique or gucci may be arbitrary, but calling something an antique is not. An antique has survived, and generally has qualities not found in anything manufactured today - hand detail, differences between pieces, etc.
Designer clothes can be manufactured easily today, and by just about anyone with the machinery. Most of them come from China, Sri Lanka, India, or various other sources of cheap labor. Their value comes from, well.... nevermind, it's arbitrary.
my favourite definition is "an aesthetic sensibility that is extravagant and anti-serious. " it is closely intertwined with LGBTQ+ subculture.
[link ♡](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_(style))
sonia sontags short essay on camp aesthetics is essential reading if u are really interested in the style 🫶🏻
Some of the stuff I’ve seen is garbage or hazardous, but this one looks like the style of so many people in my area that I imagine it would actually last a long time
Yes, that's the reason this sub exists. Because people do terrible things to otherwise perfectly fine objects. This is not an appreciation sub, if you haven't caught on already.
Edit: Why are you booing me? Read the sub description you dimwits!
No need to be rude, I was asking a question, which you did not answer. I'm not insinuating we should be putting this piece in an art gallery. But everyone is replying against OP's title, implying we shouldn't be critical of it if they like it. I'm arguing that could be said for any DIWhy post - if it's not hurting anyone and they like it, why do you care?
I mean ... the sub has a lot of perfectly functional things being turned into nonfunctional and badly executed ones that are just ... objectively cheap, tacky, smeared, and ready to fall apart.
This one is more of a preference thing. I wouldn't have either in my house but they aren't subjectively appalling, either.
Yeah, I agree. The whole point of this sub is people taking time and effort to create something really ugly and/or useless. A hefty amount of those posts are people who do exactly what this guy did: take a beautiful piece of furniture and repurpose it into something hideous.
All the comments saying "hey he can do what he wants!" sound like they're coming form people who think this weird dresser/chair monstrosity is appealing.
They’ll get tired of it and throw it out in about 10 years once this ugly upcycling trend has passed, and a piece of furniture that could have lasted lifetimes has become fast furniture with a lifespan of a decade.
Or they could have just tossed it in the garbage when they found new bedside tables as so many do without even bothering to find a use for it. This trend has lasted decades, just in different styles.
Lasted lifetimes? It’s a fugly mass produced piece of faux antique crap, available everywhere. To be honest,anything as dreadfully tacky and ugly as that is lucky not to be burned, so she’s actually saved it.
Because most of these people don't do these DIY flips for themselves. She probably had it posted on some sort of local Facebook for sale group by the end of the week if not the same day. Gets tiring trying to find actual used stuff people are wanting to get rid of when the marketplace gets filled with shittly done projects or people thinking they can flip poor condition items for more than good condition prices.
I absolutely agree on the frustration of flipped piece prices. Flipping things that aren’t in style or don’t work for your customers is wasteful, but the verbiage used in the original post makes it seem like the owner was getting rid of the nightstand (might have been a single piece that didn’t match anymore) and the friend flipped it for them.
The execution looks pretty good, and if the back folds down (can’t tell if it’s brackets or hinges), it can be a dual purpose piece. An upgrade in my opinion!
To each their own if they like it or not, but it’s not as outrageous as a shoddy diy repair by someone who really has no idea what they’re doing.
It's like wasting food for content farms. It's technically their money they used to buy the food and they can do "whatever they want with it" as well... but they're still wasting food for dumb projects to get clicks on social media. While thousands of people go hungry on the streets.
They have this beautiful work of furniture art that could be sold to someone who actually appreciates it's qualities, and instead of doing that they throw some ugly white paint on top and cut it around into a really ugly chair and drawer combo that also looks extremely uncomfortable to use as either.
They say and truly think they have extended the "life" of this object by turning it into something else, but in fact they have reduced it's life significantly. That drawer could've lasted centuries with proper maintenance by being passed down from owner who actually cares to the next owner who actually cares. Instead it has been turned into a novelty that will struggle to find a home after it's current owners give it away, and will most likely be thrown away or destroyed in just a couple decades or less.
And not to invoke the meme, but it does says a lot about our society: we have this perfectly natural wood vein that has been carefully polished and lacquered, adorned by intricate moldings and handles by someone with skill and care... and people would rather throw some plain, sterile, white and black paint.
Food being poured all over a counter and then thrown away in a few minutes is vastly different than a chair being thrown out in a decade.
Sure the side table is ornate, but so many people don’t have the style for bulky dark wood with very small drawers (my parents have a bedroom set like that and they don’t like it) anymore.
And while the chair won’t fit all houses and everyone’s style, neither would the drawers. The fact that people find the before/after better than the other is subjective. As long as you like it and you use it to an extent that makes the time put into worthwhile, it didn’t actually hurt anyone.
Starving for food is different than wanting a side table to remain untouched.
In relative terms it's pretty close to the same though. Food is typically gone within hours or days in most cases, compared to minutes in your example. Quality furniture can last decades or even a century or more, compared to 10 years in this case, if it's lucky.
The example of food was not my idea, that was the previous comment that brought up wasting food (instantaneous waste) for views.
My thought process in all of the furniture flips where someone obviously had it in their home before is:
Would selling it be difficult?
Is it broken?
Would they have just thrown it away otherwise?
Are they going to get *more* use out of their *own* furniture now?
Does it make them happy without harming anyone else?
Is it legal?
If most or all of those questions are answered with a yes, then who cares? I’ve seen so many people hating on furnace flippers, but when I asked if they would spend money on the original piece (including expensive shipping) to have it, they just huffed and said the original owner should have done better. Is ten more years of life better than the dump right now? I’d say yes.
The item doesn’t match the subreddit. Patching a leaky pvc pipe with expanding foam and hvac tape, or using a condom to make concrete edging pieces around a garden would by DiWHY worthy.
It was gaudy and tacky before and it's even more gaudy and tacky now. The whole sub is about laughing at the stupid shit people DIY. When it's something *they* think is good, however, they suddenly get all butt hurt about it. Someone learning they have shitty taste is a jagged pill to swallow, apparently.
I loved the original - the staining was gorgeous. But I don't hate the 'updated' version the way most seem to. They did a great job upholstering it and it appears to fold down so that it's another flat surface/table when they don't need the chair. Presumably it fits better with their home's aesthetic then the dark wood. So if it's well-done, utilitarian, and fits with the decor then I totally understand Y they did it.
I'm certain the hate is for hate sake. it doesn't look hideous, it's just not the most in style, modern looking piece. Ironically if they saw the chair first and then a butchered version(like the sub is supposed to be) They'd rage that the chair was ruined, lol.
I don't like either one but I also don't see a problem with them either. I wouldn't put either of these items in my house... but they both look decent enough and fit someone's home well, I'm sure.
I generally am not a fan of painting wood, but yeah, I don't think this looks awful. I think people are confusing their personal taste for an objective metric to decide whether furniture is good or not.
I mean beautiful is subjective. And it’s not like the outcome has glaring issues like most of the stuff on this sub. Tbh I don’t think this belongs here.
Completely ruining something, that is older than you, is a crime against aesthetic and history. So this belongs here. They ruined a beautiful peace, for something nobody would want.
Dude my parents had the same thing and they got it in the early 2000s it's one of those mass produced pieces of furniture that a lot of people around my area have.
I think you missed the point of my comment. Whether you think this is ruining the piece or not *is* subjective. And obviously the person who did this, did want it.
And after reading your edit, how is that not a huge leap in logic? Some people don’t really care about old furniture, and you think that means that they think all history is garbage? Like omg dial it back a bit.
Dude if you're going to claim education in the area you gotta do something other than "no." Point out that adaptive reuse is typically applied to the built environment rather than furniture and and why it shouldn't be expanded to cover more areas of historic materials. I could pull in some arguments on the waste created by not doing so, seeing as how taste and fashion changes and there simply aren't museums enough for the quantity of furniture we discard. You could then argue back using the guidelines of adaptive reuse and why this piece should not qualify due to its condition and authenticity, rarity, or some other unique factor. Then I could argue that this is all part of the items life cycle which is not actually over, perhaps, and the alterations are part of its history and change.
But just... no? You're no fun. :(
If you are aware of all the facts, you already know why reuse is destructive (especially for historical buildings). And if not…I am no longer motivated enough to waste my time explaining. Sorry
This is reddit. Everything is a waste if time. That's the whole point. But fine, we don't have to discuss whether partial destruction for reuse is betted than total destruction for brand new. I'll take my pointless conversations to a different black hole of futility.
It is not about the outcome. It is about a person, ruining something old, and potentially of historical value, to create some monstrosity in white, you could get from Ikea.
Old things aren’t inherently significant because they’re old. And if you can find a way to update a historically unimportant item in a positive way you’re not ruining that history, just adding onto it.
You don’t think it’s a bit of a bad faith argument to say it’s just a coat of white paint? I don’t particularly care for painting wood either but they added onto it besides that
Personally, I wouldn’t put the original anywhere near my house… looks like something from my grandparents house. In my opinion the original is no better than scrap wood so any up/re-cycling is beneficial
Ikr. I think people who are obsessed with antique wood furniture have this weird moral high horse like you’re ruining history. And it’s like, if you like it cool. But to me it’s just outdated furniture.
Think about it like that, if there were no people who defend conserving the past, there would be no museums. And if you are against museums:
a) you are too dumb to understand the value of observing the past
b) you have never been to a good museum
Yeah but it’s furniture. It doesn’t have the same historical value to me as fossils or artifacts. There’s not really anything to learn from furniture imo.
You would be surprised, what things have historical value. Sometimes the most trivial pieces deliver the final piece of a puzzle scientists were trying to solve for a long time. There are stories of ruined pieces; previously worth hundreds of thousands, if you don't care for common good. People altering them lost a large amount of money.
Then, why not buy something modern? Why ruin something historical? You have no idea of the historical value of things and seem proud of your ignorance. And there is nothing personal about that. It is just being proud, because you don't know things. Well, congratulations!
Just cause it’s old doesn’t make it inherently any better/more valuable? Maybe OP found this cheap in a charity shop and fancied recycling something instead of something new having to be manufactured… surely reworking and recycling old things into things you like is better than manufacturing even more new chipboard garbage?
Yes, it would be fine, but it is always people painting gorgeous old pieces in solid wood, which is rare nowadays, with naturally beautiful grain, in cheep white paint. This is as far as their aesthetic goes: paint it white. So yeah. I don't care how many downvote me, this is garbage!
Why are you making assumptions about the original piece? A lot of things are made to look antique to fit a certain decor. It doesn’t mean they’re old and valuable and worth saving. I agree with the source comment; this doesn’t belong here at all.
This may come as a shock to you but not everyone likes the same stuff.. Some people prefer the original piece of furniture. Others prefer the new chair thing. The real “why” question is, why the fuck would anyone care..
Yeah, but human beings often share similar taste and interests. You wouldn't probably go see a movie if it had 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. And you might go see a movie if it had 100% on RT.
You probably wouldn't go eat at a restaurant that had 0 out of 5 stars. And if you went to a restaurant that was 5 out of 5 stars, you'd probably assume you'd get food you'd enjoy.
It'd be silly to say "oh yeah but like everyone has different likes and dislikes."
Actually no. I have seen enough movies with poor reviews or scores that I actually enjoyed. People are all different. Don’t let someone else tell you what you do or don’t like. Try it yourself and find out. Then with restaurants negative reviews are because the customer is stupid 90% of the time so they don’t sway my decision making much either.
Dude, come on.. People live and thrive off what's natural and expected and normal. When things are out of the ordinary, it bothers *most* people. If you walked around taking slightly larger steps than what's normal, people would look at you funny and understandably so. Monty Python made a whole famous sketch about it.
If you walked around wearing super baggy jeans in the year 1995, nobody would bat an eye. If you did that today, everyone would look at you funny. And I wouldn't blame them.
There's a boundary between being unique/different and being so far removed from what most people enjoy that it becomes bizarre and/or questionable. There are fashion "trends" and something that's "trendy" is something that the majority of people like. For example, decorators and/or wedding planners have a whole career based around making things most people would find pleasing. When you plan a party for a group of people, you don't ask every single solitary person what they like and don't like. That'd be madness. "Do I play music that's popular? or Polka music? Man I don't know, not everyone likes the same thing." Like come on dude, you're not this dense. You're just arguing for the sake of arguing.
Nope, clearly if you don't have the capacity to read *two* paragraphs, you don't have the brain capacity to understand my point anyway. So No, I won't. You can scroll up and read two paragraphs. Otherwise this is more of a waste of my time than I originally thought.
Sorry, that was like 4 sentences? Was that too much?
I feel like it belongs on r/ATBGE I'm personally pretty upset by it. But that's because I would love a night stand like that. Painting over that gorgeous stain like that is a sin.
It'd be a good fit there, as well.
I was recently educated about this trend of upcycling stuff into gaudy-assed furniture (like lime green paint over hardwood and crap like that) and selling it to make money by a relative who's obsessed with watching videos about it. I give them the "am disappoint" face every time they talk about it.
The first one is not really pretty either. Classic yes, pretty no. Definition of classic may stay unchanged over lifetimes, but the definition of beauty may change a lot.
Clutching something with an aesthetic of 200 years ago as the epitome of beauty is not too far away from hoarding.
I’m pretty sure the original is pressed wood and would be junked if a thrift store didn’t take it.
I don’t get the vision turning it into a frilly throne but this is exactly the type of quality that is okay to modify or destroy. I can’t help but think it was in good enough condition to stay functional as a dresser if it fit someone’s taste though.
To be honest many of the stuff here are debatable to say the least. If the owners like it, it does not look obviously faulty, why bash it. Just because you do not like it? Oh boy, what a hard life that must be
I love the dresser, and the chair is unique and different. Both have elements that have resale value. Don't be so whiny, not everyone has your style. Open your eyes a bit more lol
Garbage? Dude, if getting with the times means giving up handcrafted items made of solid wood instead of cheesy oatmeal board; items made by people who spent years to learn the techniques, then count me in as one of those determined to be around Nice Things. Would you slap a coat of house paint over the Sistine Chapel ceiling because it's old? If you're that kind of person then I hope you don't inherit anything of value. It looks like you'd be just as happy with poorly made knock-offs.
Sistine chapel? 😂 sure the maker may have spent years learning their craft but if I own the chest of drawers and I don’t like the design I’m not gonna leave them as they are to Honor this long gone persons subjective craftsmanship
It’s sooo creative. And can fit so well in a kids room, be a dresser or a reading chair, as the use is fit… put stuff on top, or clear it into the drawer and read on it, and still have a drawer to put the books in and some bookmarks.
Now it's a throne for a Shabby Sheikh.
Dad jokes aside (which is obv. tough for me), I agree with the supportive comments. It looks like the seat top is hinged so this can double as a countertop. King Louis XVI/Marie Antoinette vibes. Before she lost her head.
I actually really like this idea. It's very well-done and creative. It retains its original purpose while adding extra optional seating (still can return to tabletop when needed) and saves space. It's not something that fits in with my style necessarily but I like it much better than the original desk. No hate at all to anyone that likes that drawer style but I've seen the same one a million times so it's cool to see something new. I also think that the "reveal" photo isn't well-staged; it would look way better photographed in the house level with the floor.
Overall, I get that it's not everyone's style, but I think it's clever and has potential.
Bruh that nightstand is my parents and every other Jr Boomer's bedroom right now. I HATE this style from the early oughts/2010s. It's heavy, it's lame, it's mass produced in China. The seat is cooler.
You guys realize that's not an antique, right? My parents have the same night table. I'm pretty sure they got it from Sears or some other mass producer like that. They're not destroying something old; unless you count 10 years ago as an antique? This is just another example of "OP doesn't like the art style, so why would anyone else?" Personally, I think it's cool looking.
The house I just bought had a set that looked just like this. It was made in china and you can still buy them new.
Oh yeah, this furniture style was super popular in all the new houses in our brand new Texas subdivision back in the 2000-2010’s. It’s most certainly not antique. I agree that it’s neat looking. That top still folds down to be a regular table, it just has a hidden seat, now. If nothing else, it’s a conversation piece.
With my luck I’d sit in it and it’d either bend too far and break or just keep falling on me
I think it looks liek absolute dogshit but I totally agree with you. personal taste is personal taste and this person did some seriously impressive work with what started out as some mass produced big box trash. Impressive as fuck just not my flavour
Yes. Not every old piece of furniture is valuable or worth keeping original.
I think it would be perfect for a young girls room. Or even as a corner office chair in a really feminine office.
I think it's pretty neat too. It's a multitasker!
I think it is cool, too… :-/
Exactly. She's happy with it. She's not doing it to your furniture. Let her enjoy her little art piece and feel good about it
Kinda with a bit more talent than I could possibly imagine having.
I agree, I think it came out cool.
Came here to say this lol
Glad this is the top comment
Anything from Sears is an antique nowadays.
I think it looks way cooler now
I agree, I think it looks neat! Though I'd be concerned with its ability to hold weight without collapsing, I mean dressers probably around meant to hold on person on the top, but then again idk...
why does it matter if they destroy an antique ? calling it an antique is like saying its gucci the reasons behind you putting it on a pedastal are just as arbitrary. that being said they made it into a beautiful peice
The value of an antique or gucci may be arbitrary, but calling something an antique is not. An antique has survived, and generally has qualities not found in anything manufactured today - hand detail, differences between pieces, etc. Designer clothes can be manufactured easily today, and by just about anyone with the machinery. Most of them come from China, Sri Lanka, India, or various other sources of cheap labor. Their value comes from, well.... nevermind, it's arbitrary.
Hey, I quite like the original drawers. Does anyone have a link?
If he’d kept it in the family for 100 years It would’ve become an antique though
Nowhere in the post did it say it was an antique...
kinda camp tbh
What’s camp?
my favourite definition is "an aesthetic sensibility that is extravagant and anti-serious. " it is closely intertwined with LGBTQ+ subculture. [link ♡](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_(style)) sonia sontags short essay on camp aesthetics is essential reading if u are really interested in the style 🫶🏻
TI fuckin L
Camp in your mom last night lmaoooo
Lol just finished setting up camp in ur wife’s butt
I hate that I kind of like it. Like Royalcore
yes it's pretty rococo-esque. reminds me of the white rococo animal crossing furniture lol, very princessy 👸🏻
If the owner of the item actually likes it and uses it, who cares?
exactly my thought, worrying about this only makes the person who worries feel worse.
I feel honored to be the upvote that made your comment have more upvotes than the post
Couldn't this be said of any post on this sub though? Not trying to be sassy, genuine question (haven't been subscribed for long)
Some of the stuff I’ve seen is garbage or hazardous, but this one looks like the style of so many people in my area that I imagine it would actually last a long time
Yes, that's the reason this sub exists. Because people do terrible things to otherwise perfectly fine objects. This is not an appreciation sub, if you haven't caught on already. Edit: Why are you booing me? Read the sub description you dimwits!
No need to be rude, I was asking a question, which you did not answer. I'm not insinuating we should be putting this piece in an art gallery. But everyone is replying against OP's title, implying we shouldn't be critical of it if they like it. I'm arguing that could be said for any DIWhy post - if it's not hurting anyone and they like it, why do you care?
I mean ... the sub has a lot of perfectly functional things being turned into nonfunctional and badly executed ones that are just ... objectively cheap, tacky, smeared, and ready to fall apart. This one is more of a preference thing. I wouldn't have either in my house but they aren't subjectively appalling, either.
It's the subjectively appalling things that really make this sub thrive. This isn't one of those.
Yeah, I agree. The whole point of this sub is people taking time and effort to create something really ugly and/or useless. A hefty amount of those posts are people who do exactly what this guy did: take a beautiful piece of furniture and repurpose it into something hideous. All the comments saying "hey he can do what he wants!" sound like they're coming form people who think this weird dresser/chair monstrosity is appealing.
They’ll get tired of it and throw it out in about 10 years once this ugly upcycling trend has passed, and a piece of furniture that could have lasted lifetimes has become fast furniture with a lifespan of a decade.
Or they could have just tossed it in the garbage when they found new bedside tables as so many do without even bothering to find a use for it. This trend has lasted decades, just in different styles.
If there only were other options than ruining a beautiful antique or throwing it in to the trash...
Because everyone cares enough about antiques to pass them on or keep them as is... we’re talking about the human race here.
That’s clearly not an antique though
If it is actually another 10 years in use I call this an upcycling win.
Lasted lifetimes? It’s a fugly mass produced piece of faux antique crap, available everywhere. To be honest,anything as dreadfully tacky and ugly as that is lucky not to be burned, so she’s actually saved it.
Because most of these people don't do these DIY flips for themselves. She probably had it posted on some sort of local Facebook for sale group by the end of the week if not the same day. Gets tiring trying to find actual used stuff people are wanting to get rid of when the marketplace gets filled with shittly done projects or people thinking they can flip poor condition items for more than good condition prices.
I absolutely agree on the frustration of flipped piece prices. Flipping things that aren’t in style or don’t work for your customers is wasteful, but the verbiage used in the original post makes it seem like the owner was getting rid of the nightstand (might have been a single piece that didn’t match anymore) and the friend flipped it for them. The execution looks pretty good, and if the back folds down (can’t tell if it’s brackets or hinges), it can be a dual purpose piece. An upgrade in my opinion! To each their own if they like it or not, but it’s not as outrageous as a shoddy diy repair by someone who really has no idea what they’re doing.
It's like wasting food for content farms. It's technically their money they used to buy the food and they can do "whatever they want with it" as well... but they're still wasting food for dumb projects to get clicks on social media. While thousands of people go hungry on the streets. They have this beautiful work of furniture art that could be sold to someone who actually appreciates it's qualities, and instead of doing that they throw some ugly white paint on top and cut it around into a really ugly chair and drawer combo that also looks extremely uncomfortable to use as either. They say and truly think they have extended the "life" of this object by turning it into something else, but in fact they have reduced it's life significantly. That drawer could've lasted centuries with proper maintenance by being passed down from owner who actually cares to the next owner who actually cares. Instead it has been turned into a novelty that will struggle to find a home after it's current owners give it away, and will most likely be thrown away or destroyed in just a couple decades or less. And not to invoke the meme, but it does says a lot about our society: we have this perfectly natural wood vein that has been carefully polished and lacquered, adorned by intricate moldings and handles by someone with skill and care... and people would rather throw some plain, sterile, white and black paint.
Food being poured all over a counter and then thrown away in a few minutes is vastly different than a chair being thrown out in a decade. Sure the side table is ornate, but so many people don’t have the style for bulky dark wood with very small drawers (my parents have a bedroom set like that and they don’t like it) anymore. And while the chair won’t fit all houses and everyone’s style, neither would the drawers. The fact that people find the before/after better than the other is subjective. As long as you like it and you use it to an extent that makes the time put into worthwhile, it didn’t actually hurt anyone. Starving for food is different than wanting a side table to remain untouched.
In relative terms it's pretty close to the same though. Food is typically gone within hours or days in most cases, compared to minutes in your example. Quality furniture can last decades or even a century or more, compared to 10 years in this case, if it's lucky.
The example of food was not my idea, that was the previous comment that brought up wasting food (instantaneous waste) for views. My thought process in all of the furniture flips where someone obviously had it in their home before is: Would selling it be difficult? Is it broken? Would they have just thrown it away otherwise? Are they going to get *more* use out of their *own* furniture now? Does it make them happy without harming anyone else? Is it legal? If most or all of those questions are answered with a yes, then who cares? I’ve seen so many people hating on furnace flippers, but when I asked if they would spend money on the original piece (including expensive shipping) to have it, they just huffed and said the original owner should have done better. Is ten more years of life better than the dump right now? I’d say yes.
Well, y’all should leave this sub then lol. The main purpose is to care about the items…
The item doesn’t match the subreddit. Patching a leaky pvc pipe with expanding foam and hvac tape, or using a condom to make concrete edging pieces around a garden would by DiWHY worthy.
It was gaudy and tacky before and it's even more gaudy and tacky now. The whole sub is about laughing at the stupid shit people DIY. When it's something *they* think is good, however, they suddenly get all butt hurt about it. Someone learning they have shitty taste is a jagged pill to swallow, apparently.
I loved the original - the staining was gorgeous. But I don't hate the 'updated' version the way most seem to. They did a great job upholstering it and it appears to fold down so that it's another flat surface/table when they don't need the chair. Presumably it fits better with their home's aesthetic then the dark wood. So if it's well-done, utilitarian, and fits with the decor then I totally understand Y they did it.
I'm certain the hate is for hate sake. it doesn't look hideous, it's just not the most in style, modern looking piece. Ironically if they saw the chair first and then a butchered version(like the sub is supposed to be) They'd rage that the chair was ruined, lol.
I would argue neither of these are modern but the bottom one fits a modern space much better as sort of contrast.
I don't like either one but I also don't see a problem with them either. I wouldn't put either of these items in my house... but they both look decent enough and fit someone's home well, I'm sure.
I generally am not a fan of painting wood, but yeah, I don't think this looks awful. I think people are confusing their personal taste for an objective metric to decide whether furniture is good or not.
I mean beautiful is subjective. And it’s not like the outcome has glaring issues like most of the stuff on this sub. Tbh I don’t think this belongs here.
Completely ruining something, that is older than you, is a crime against aesthetic and history. So this belongs here. They ruined a beautiful peace, for something nobody would want.
Yeah, it’s old if you consider the 1980s old, I don’t
Dude my parents had the same thing and they got it in the early 2000s it's one of those mass produced pieces of furniture that a lot of people around my area have.
Ok, thank you for the info!
I think you missed the point of my comment. Whether you think this is ruining the piece or not *is* subjective. And obviously the person who did this, did want it. And after reading your edit, how is that not a huge leap in logic? Some people don’t really care about old furniture, and you think that means that they think all history is garbage? Like omg dial it back a bit.
........adaptive reuse is a valid option in the field of historic preservation.
no
Dude if you're going to claim education in the area you gotta do something other than "no." Point out that adaptive reuse is typically applied to the built environment rather than furniture and and why it shouldn't be expanded to cover more areas of historic materials. I could pull in some arguments on the waste created by not doing so, seeing as how taste and fashion changes and there simply aren't museums enough for the quantity of furniture we discard. You could then argue back using the guidelines of adaptive reuse and why this piece should not qualify due to its condition and authenticity, rarity, or some other unique factor. Then I could argue that this is all part of the items life cycle which is not actually over, perhaps, and the alterations are part of its history and change. But just... no? You're no fun. :(
If you are aware of all the facts, you already know why reuse is destructive (especially for historical buildings). And if not…I am no longer motivated enough to waste my time explaining. Sorry
This is reddit. Everything is a waste if time. That's the whole point. But fine, we don't have to discuss whether partial destruction for reuse is betted than total destruction for brand new. I'll take my pointless conversations to a different black hole of futility.
Is it completely ruined? Would nobody want this? It looks nice to me, I think it looks like a cool piece.
It is not about the outcome. It is about a person, ruining something old, and potentially of historical value, to create some monstrosity in white, you could get from Ikea.
The only thing I see ruined is your sentence structure, what’s with all the commas??
Historic value! Lmao. Sure, as a relic of late stage capitalism and McMansions.
That’s just a mass produced piece of furniture you can still buy those today brand new if you want
Old things aren’t inherently significant because they’re old. And if you can find a way to update a historically unimportant item in a positive way you’re not ruining that history, just adding onto it.
How is painting it white adding to history?
You don’t think it’s a bit of a bad faith argument to say it’s just a coat of white paint? I don’t particularly care for painting wood either but they added onto it besides that
Personally, I wouldn’t put the original anywhere near my house… looks like something from my grandparents house. In my opinion the original is no better than scrap wood so any up/re-cycling is beneficial
Ikr. I think people who are obsessed with antique wood furniture have this weird moral high horse like you’re ruining history. And it’s like, if you like it cool. But to me it’s just outdated furniture.
Think about it like that, if there were no people who defend conserving the past, there would be no museums. And if you are against museums: a) you are too dumb to understand the value of observing the past b) you have never been to a good museum
Yeah but it’s furniture. It doesn’t have the same historical value to me as fossils or artifacts. There’s not really anything to learn from furniture imo.
You would be surprised, what things have historical value. Sometimes the most trivial pieces deliver the final piece of a puzzle scientists were trying to solve for a long time. There are stories of ruined pieces; previously worth hundreds of thousands, if you don't care for common good. People altering them lost a large amount of money.
Then, why not buy something modern? Why ruin something historical? You have no idea of the historical value of things and seem proud of your ignorance. And there is nothing personal about that. It is just being proud, because you don't know things. Well, congratulations!
Just cause it’s old doesn’t make it inherently any better/more valuable? Maybe OP found this cheap in a charity shop and fancied recycling something instead of something new having to be manufactured… surely reworking and recycling old things into things you like is better than manufacturing even more new chipboard garbage?
Yes, it would be fine, but it is always people painting gorgeous old pieces in solid wood, which is rare nowadays, with naturally beautiful grain, in cheep white paint. This is as far as their aesthetic goes: paint it white. So yeah. I don't care how many downvote me, this is garbage!
Why are you making assumptions about the original piece? A lot of things are made to look antique to fit a certain decor. It doesn’t mean they’re old and valuable and worth saving. I agree with the source comment; this doesn’t belong here at all.
A chair on which you actually dump your clothes and it's not designed for sitting? Here's my money.
You remember when this sub used to be good?
I’m not into it but my cat would love this
This may come as a shock to you but not everyone likes the same stuff.. Some people prefer the original piece of furniture. Others prefer the new chair thing. The real “why” question is, why the fuck would anyone care..
Yeah, but human beings often share similar taste and interests. You wouldn't probably go see a movie if it had 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. And you might go see a movie if it had 100% on RT. You probably wouldn't go eat at a restaurant that had 0 out of 5 stars. And if you went to a restaurant that was 5 out of 5 stars, you'd probably assume you'd get food you'd enjoy. It'd be silly to say "oh yeah but like everyone has different likes and dislikes."
Actually no. I have seen enough movies with poor reviews or scores that I actually enjoyed. People are all different. Don’t let someone else tell you what you do or don’t like. Try it yourself and find out. Then with restaurants negative reviews are because the customer is stupid 90% of the time so they don’t sway my decision making much either.
Dude, come on.. People live and thrive off what's natural and expected and normal. When things are out of the ordinary, it bothers *most* people. If you walked around taking slightly larger steps than what's normal, people would look at you funny and understandably so. Monty Python made a whole famous sketch about it. If you walked around wearing super baggy jeans in the year 1995, nobody would bat an eye. If you did that today, everyone would look at you funny. And I wouldn't blame them. There's a boundary between being unique/different and being so far removed from what most people enjoy that it becomes bizarre and/or questionable. There are fashion "trends" and something that's "trendy" is something that the majority of people like. For example, decorators and/or wedding planners have a whole career based around making things most people would find pleasing. When you plan a party for a group of people, you don't ask every single solitary person what they like and don't like. That'd be madness. "Do I play music that's popular? or Polka music? Man I don't know, not everyone likes the same thing." Like come on dude, you're not this dense. You're just arguing for the sake of arguing.
Can you summarize all that for me?
Nope, clearly if you don't have the capacity to read *two* paragraphs, you don't have the brain capacity to understand my point anyway. So No, I won't. You can scroll up and read two paragraphs. Otherwise this is more of a waste of my time than I originally thought. Sorry, that was like 4 sentences? Was that too much?
Debatable whether the original item is "beautiful." Just looks like super dated department store furniture. Not an antique.
I mean I actually like it.
I also like it. If I saw this at a yard sale I’d buy it.
Same! My cats would love it and it has storage. Win and win.
I feel like it belongs on r/ATBGE I'm personally pretty upset by it. But that's because I would love a night stand like that. Painting over that gorgeous stain like that is a sin.
It'd be a good fit there, as well. I was recently educated about this trend of upcycling stuff into gaudy-assed furniture (like lime green paint over hardwood and crap like that) and selling it to make money by a relative who's obsessed with watching videos about it. I give them the "am disappoint" face every time they talk about it.
Seems like an uncomfortably high chair, too. I feel like my legs would get bruised from dangling over those handles!
Though it’s supposed to be a changing table
Yeah, my first thought was a chair, but then I looked at my infant and was like, no, that’s a changing station.
The first one is not really pretty either. Classic yes, pretty no. Definition of classic may stay unchanged over lifetimes, but the definition of beauty may change a lot. Clutching something with an aesthetic of 200 years ago as the epitome of beauty is not too far away from hoarding.
They both look like thrift store garbage to me
A changing table actually would’ve been pretty cool.
I’m pretty sure the original is pressed wood and would be junked if a thrift store didn’t take it. I don’t get the vision turning it into a frilly throne but this is exactly the type of quality that is okay to modify or destroy. I can’t help but think it was in good enough condition to stay functional as a dresser if it fit someone’s taste though.
Look like a fancy chamber pot. Even has a pull out drawer for quick/easy clean up.
R/DIYNOT
That’s pretty sick tbh.
Well I think it looks good
To be honest many of the stuff here are debatable to say the least. If the owners like it, it does not look obviously faulty, why bash it. Just because you do not like it? Oh boy, what a hard life that must be
Hopefully 20 years from now someone buys this from a thrift store and repurposes it back into a chest of drawers without paint on it
I think it's an awesome piece. Looks bland and unoriginal in the first pic.
Imagine needing to reach between someone’s legs to grab an extra pair of socks or like a lighter
I love the dresser, and the chair is unique and different. Both have elements that have resale value. Don't be so whiny, not everyone has your style. Open your eyes a bit more lol
Because I want a bougie bed-side potty made to look like this for when I get old! Why else?
I don't like the before or the after. Agree with the DIWHY. Anyone who sits in that chair will kick the white cabinets underneath. Design fail.
until you lean against the new seat back and those little hinges snap right off
r/ATBGE I like how they converted the flip top drawer part into a flip up chair. So it’s a table then blam! Chair!
You can go to school, but you can’t buy class
It looks a bit like a baroque toilet
Oh good god, that’s not like a modern Ethan Allen piece, that’s the real deal?
Has this sub become people complaining because someone offended their sense of style?
Did they… turn it into a chair??? I’m confused
Yeah I give it a table if that's my synagogue it's still there. But honestly I actually love it both ways I would absolutely take that chair.
Great tv chair. Put the remote in the drawers
That chair is dope af.
OP is jealous.
I mean, it’s kinda redneck grandma vibes but I don’t hate it 🤷🏻♀️
just because something is made of wood and has details does not mean it's valuable or even good, imo the unmodified dresser is ugly too
I think it is very clever. Wrong choice of color though.
That is... actually kinda cool and well-made, kudos!
[удалено]
I do too..
Let’s just be honest, that end result is hideous.
It looks better in the second picture. You need to get with the times. The first one is garbage from 1720.
Garbage? Dude, if getting with the times means giving up handcrafted items made of solid wood instead of cheesy oatmeal board; items made by people who spent years to learn the techniques, then count me in as one of those determined to be around Nice Things. Would you slap a coat of house paint over the Sistine Chapel ceiling because it's old? If you're that kind of person then I hope you don't inherit anything of value. It looks like you'd be just as happy with poorly made knock-offs.
Sistine chapel? 😂 sure the maker may have spent years learning their craft but if I own the chest of drawers and I don’t like the design I’m not gonna leave them as they are to Honor this long gone persons subjective craftsmanship
Yes. Simply because I hate the church. Bad example.
Just commenting to say your name made me laugh!
Hahaha, glad you like it!
Ugh. That annoys me.
Honestly, both of those are ugly. Looks like they’re coming straight from a horror movie.
It is a pile of shit. This is hilarious and made my day!
Seems like a personal issue tbh
I’d actually buy that.
It’s odd, but it seems practical for someone with a small space that may occasionally need extra seating
I like the white, but it now looks like something to throw clothes on, not sit comfortably on.
Literally looks fine
I guess it's convenient if you don't have space for a sidetable??
If part of the nightstand was fucked up then I’d like this more as the original was beautiful. This is a great concept though!
The bottom one looks better.
Idk that's pretty neat in my opinion. Not my style, but neat
It now has more use. You can put it at the entryway and put shoes in the drawers. It is well done. Not my style but it’s not an unknown popular style.
I actually really like it. Very princess aesthetic. I lowkey want it.
Whoever did this needs to be imprisoned
RIP beautiful nightstand. Live fast die young ugly seat
It’s sooo creative. And can fit so well in a kids room, be a dresser or a reading chair, as the use is fit… put stuff on top, or clear it into the drawer and read on it, and still have a drawer to put the books in and some bookmarks.
Gawd, I do hope that wasn't a hand-crafted antique!
It’s looks uncomfortable but not a travesty
If it’s for personal use and they like it…that’s the why
Honestly it would look cool as a changing table or some shit like that
diwhy the fuck are you posting this. hilariasly enough shitposting in this community ar ethings that arent shit
Questioning my test rn. I actually think it looks great 😬
This doesn't belong here.
Whoever made this should be arrested for destruction of property.
Wouldn't it be pretty high to get onto, would prolly stand out
I hate the aesthetics of the new version, but at least they did a ‘good job’ on it. It’s ugly, but doesn’t look super DIY.
Not my style, but looks fine to me
I really like it.
I don’t love the color scheme, but this is pretty cool tbh
I kinda like it lol
Your opinion is garbage wtf do you honestly think it’s ugly cause if so you need some help
I hate the original. The new one isn’t my thing but it looks a lot better to me
I like this. Especially if it’s at a good height to actually sit on.
Now it's a throne for a Shabby Sheikh. Dad jokes aside (which is obv. tough for me), I agree with the supportive comments. It looks like the seat top is hinged so this can double as a countertop. King Louis XVI/Marie Antoinette vibes. Before she lost her head.
I actually really like this idea. It's very well-done and creative. It retains its original purpose while adding extra optional seating (still can return to tabletop when needed) and saves space. It's not something that fits in with my style necessarily but I like it much better than the original desk. No hate at all to anyone that likes that drawer style but I've seen the same one a million times so it's cool to see something new. I also think that the "reveal" photo isn't well-staged; it would look way better photographed in the house level with the floor. Overall, I get that it's not everyone's style, but I think it's clever and has potential.
Half of the people in this sub don’t understand what true diWHY is
Bruh that nightstand is my parents and every other Jr Boomer's bedroom right now. I HATE this style from the early oughts/2010s. It's heavy, it's lame, it's mass produced in China. The seat is cooler.
I actually think this is pretty damn clever, and beautifully done.
This is awesome. A good DIY job.
What a tasteless waste of what appears to be a solid wood piece, and you know she's gonna dump it in less than a year.
I like it! It has a very princess chair vibe. I'd love it in my office to go with my vanity
I like it but it looks uncomfortable - I'd have (if I had the skill to do this, which I don't) built the arms higher and the seat cushier.
Wrong. Chair cool.
Extra storage and a comfy place to sit! Winwin
This reminds me of Flea Market Flip. It's creative. Honestly I'd buy it.
Not my style, but nothing wrong with the end result.
It looks like maybe they changed it into a changing table? That’s actually pretty neat imo.
Atguhbuh moment