The hubs and I aren’t big coffee drinkers, but we do enjoy starting the day with a warm tea, especially since our early mornings are still pretty chilly. Because it’s a daily routine, the tea supplies tended to be left out on the counter. While that made the process more convenient, it also created clutter. So I decided to create a tea station where all the ingredients are readily accessible and organized. I found this little stand on the clearance shelf at Pier 1 recently and thought it would work perfectly. Except for those gigantic elephant handles. Although interesting, they’re just not my style.
But with a price tag of just under $12 and a gift card in hand that would cover that and then some, I was up for a little revamp. A quick inspection revealed a single screw head for each handle underneath, so I knew they could be removed. I was hopeful that the jars I planned to use on the board would cover the holes and I could just leave the wood as is.
However once the screw was removed, the handles didn’t budge. Apparently there was also glue underneath. I was a little worried that prying the glue up would disturb the finish on the sides of the board since the handles had a small lip over the edge, but there was only one way to find out. 
Luckily, the glue was only around the hole, but it did leave a bit of damage to the top of the board on each side.
It was pretty minor damage, but I knew it would drive me batty, so a little filler and some sanding were in order. Here it is prepped and ready for paint.
A few quick coats of grey paint we had sitting around gave it a whole new look. I lightly sanded the edges so a bit of the wood color shows through to coordinate with the other wood tones we have in this space. The two types of tea we use are now stored in these cute patterned neutral canisters from Target and a sleek pump replaced the squeeze bottle honey we’d been using. A small spoon rest completes the set-up. It’s simple, functional and pretty, which makes me oh so happy. 🙂
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Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys 
Hi, where did you get the cabinet with the 2 smaller drawers on top and the file drawer on bottom? I cannot find a source for these. Thanks
I believe you’re asking about the cabinet on the end of our wall-to-wall desk post. That, like the other cabinets for that protect, was found locally from a private seller so unfortunately I don’t have a source that can be shared. I can tell you it’s an old military nightstand which might help you search in your local area. Happy hunting! 🙂