The Uses for Old Entertainment Centers

• Repurpose an old entertainment center to fit a variety of storage needs. Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

  The evolution from deep television sets to flat screens has made old entertainment centers nearly obsolete. Many of the old entertainment centers are made from sturdy hardwoods and have a decorative finish, so it seems a waste to simply discard them. Instead, look at the variety of storage uses that old entertainment centers can serve. From the garage to the play room, you can adapt the cabinets to suit your family's needs.

Garage Storage

• Retire an old entertainment center to the garage, and use it to store anything from tools to paint cans. The opening designed for a deep television can also hold sports equipment, gardening supplies and seasonal displays. If the entertainment center has a built-in cabinet, use it to store work shoes, holiday decorations and a variety of other items at home in a garage.

Craft Room Storage

• Tidy up your craft room by installing an old entertainment center as a storage center. Craft supplies range from small containers of beads and adhesives to large rolls of metal and artist's canvases. No matter what size craft supply you need to store, you can most likely find room for them in an old entertainment center.

Laundry Room Storage

• Use an old entertainment center in your laundry room to store excess detergent and laundry supplies. You can use the large television cutout to store towels and linens or to act as a base for other folded laundry. Refinish the wood cabinet to fit with the overall style of your laundry room. To refinish the cabinet, sand it with light sandpaper and repaint the surface with latex or acrylic paint. If the wood is stained, you can add a fresh coat of stain after a light sanding, or you can paint over the existing stain after sanding.

Home Office Storage

• Add a pull-out shelf inside the television cutout portion of an old entertainment center, and use the cabinet as a home office. Place your personal computer or laptop on the pull-out shelf, and use the remaining cabinet storage for home office supplies. Add doors over the large television opening to hide away the home office when you're not using it.

Toy Room Storage

• Decorate the outside of an old entertainment center with a fresh coat of colorful chalkboard paint, and use the cabinet as storage in your child's playroom. Store toys, board games and arts supplies inside the entertainment center. Supply chalk and erasers, and the entertainment center becomes a place where your kids can express their creativity.