Before & After: Box Spring Chair & Table

Of the many Before and Afters we have featured, this one may take the prize for the biggest blindside, meaning when you click through, you will in no way have figured out what was coming and the ‘After’ photo just may knock you flat. While you can sometimes predict how a thrift store dresser or end table will be saved and transformed, just try it with this box spring. You’ll be wrong. Trust us. Just go look.

We told you! When Linn from The Home Project described this to us in a brief e-mail, we were sort of scratching our heads. That quickly morphed into shaking our heads (and probably whistling) in admiration.

After failing to find any takers for their old box spring on craigslist, she and her husband began to break it down for a trip to the dump. But they were amazed by the sheer amount of wood contained inside–clean, unpainted, admittedly-low-grade-but-still-useful wood. They challenged each other to find a use for it, and after a night of brainstorming came up with this great little patio set. Besides the wooden dowels holding it all together, the only wood they used came from the box spring.

Waiting around for inspiration to hit is all fine and well, but if you challenge yourself and work with what you have, you just may hit on something brilliant. Well done, Linn!

• See more: The Home Project

(Images: The Home Project)