I found a wonderful, sturdy, adjustable ironing board with the mesh top at the thrift shop for $3.00. It is just like the one I had as a bride in the 50's. It is so much sturdier and more stable than many of the newer ironing boards.
I had found an antique (?) oversized ironing board that folks used to lay across the top of 2 dining room chair backs to use. My grandson screwed it to the ironing board and I love it. I padded mine with a wool throw rug that needed a home and then use an ironing pad over that.
It can be folded up and put away, but I never do. It sits beside my sewing machine and is a wonderful work space for cutting, ironing, or holding a quilt while I stitch the binding down by hand.