When our friend Karrolyn Belkis needed room to sort through some clippings, she used her stored-away ironing board as an adjustable height surface.
In India, Peggy Markel delighted in her friend Rajiv Jani’s “permanent press‘, an ironing board that, for MANY practical reasons, he transformed into a low desk at which he could sit cross-legged (Indian style).
Then at Design Sponge, we saw the vintage ironing Board Caitlin Van Horn of Roost used as a side table/shelf, at top, and this clever sofa table.
They got us thinking that ironing boards, with their adjustable height stands and ability to fold away into a closet, are really an ideal dual-purpose surface. And then we started remembering beautiful vintage ironing boards we’d seen.
There are many to be found at flea markets, second-hand stores and Ebay. Some beauties are all wood, like the one at top, which can be cleaned up, refinished or painted. When not needed it folds away, to store in a closet or under the sofa.
Our favorite vintage ironing boards have almost sculptural lines…
They can be practical surface or stylish display…
We love this vintage beauty with a green steel base (spotted on Ebay)…
…looking ‘under the hood, we see that the base can easily be unscrewed and applied to another size and shape of wood surface…
There are many possibilities for this wonderful morphing, storable table. We found a whole Pinterest devoted to uses for vintage ironing boards…
What a clever idea for an unthought of item. Would also be great for my elderly father as a bedside table as it is adjustable. Thanks for the tip.
I have a thick, heavy, sturdy skylight window that I wanted to turn into a desk. I’m thinking that a couple ironing boards used as “trestle legs” might work.
I would depend on how the ironing boards are positioned as their width is quite narrow. You would just need to make sure you eliminate wobble.