Here are some pictures of a project from a while ago, where I attempted to make some use of the 17″ screen of an old laptop, by building it into a DIY wooden coffee table.

The screen connected to a converter board in order to get a VGA output signal. The electronics were originally mounted to the back of the screen, but the weight put too much load on the fragile plastic light diffuser, so I re-positioned them inside the table.

The media station was a model Raspberry Pi 1 Model B running XBMC (now called Kodi). Two cheap speakers were also added. I also found a handy IR remote to connect to the Raspberry via USB, although a wireless keyboard would probably be more user-friendly.

A thick sheet of transparent acrylic completes the table and protects the screen from damage.