Barry Bucknell's weekly TV advice on do-it-yourself jobs in the home.

When the old fireplace (a really ancient monument) was removed from the front basement room, it left an empty, wide, and fairly deep alcove, just the right size for a built-in dressing table. The dressing table itself is simple to make and the basic unit makes a very attractive chest of drawers. There's also another simple idea for covering broken or uneven plaster.