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Home Decorating

Can I repurpose this cupboard??

13 years ago

We are getting ready for the move to the new house, and have to downsize. This old cupboard was my DH's grandmother's. Not sure of the age...varying opinions say 80-100 years. It's really not worth anything, I guess, but wondering if it could be an interesting piece if repurposed, painted? Any ideas? Thanks.

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Comments (15)

bestyears
13 years ago
My friend Wendy has a nearly identical cupboard and they use it for towels in the main bathroom of their home.
paintergirl94
13 years ago
I've actually painted 2 very similar pieces. The first one was for my mother. I painted it black, and on the panels on either side, I painted Italianate arabesques. She uses it to display her collectibles in the living room.
The second one was mine. I painted it white, antiqued it with a taupe glaze and accented some of the mouldings with a metallic. I used mine in a bathroom.
There are so many things you could do with that piece!
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Sandy, I could drive down SR 37 with my eyes closed! We live south of Marion. A quick Google check for architectural salvage in Indy lists several. The prices are out of our budget, but the pieces are beautiful. One door (French door set) was $250. It's much like the french doors I got :) At least one GWer lives nearby. Tom lives within driving distance of Indianapolis. He put Kline cabinets in his kitchen last fall. He posted his kitchen pics and gave Kline Cabinetmakers a rave recommendation. I admired a display at Clarks in Castleton and contacted Kline after seeing Tom's cabinets. Kline will be making our cabinets, too! I cannot remember her name, but there is a couple living in southern Indiana who remodeled their kitchen in a few weeks. She posted day-by-day pics. It came out fabulous! It may have been over Thanksgiving last year. Caroline, Your house is wonderful. If ours turns out anywhere close to yours I will be thrilled. On the stone-You are right, it can always be used for something outside. The one piece was relocated under a tree. There is a chair and little table. It's a wonderful place to read. The kitchen plan has ~36'' cupboards flanking the refrigerator; I need small countertops. One slab for each counter would do it. No need to piece a long run together. One side has a countertop convection oven (it must sit on a non-flammable surface). The other side is for breakfast prep-coffee & tea, toaster, etc. It would be so wonderful to touch that every morning and think of the thousands of people who passed our house over the years. I get emotional just thinking about it! I picked up a chipped piece this morning and tried to figure out what kind of stone it is. It is a brownish gray, (more gray much less brown than these pics) feels grainy-like sand, and has lots of tiny sparkly bits. The rock is compact rather than layered. It must be porous because there are some green (moss stain?) areas. The scraped bits soaked with lime cleaner didn't bubble or dissolve. The large slabs feel very smooth, not flaky like the small piece. Maybe it is sandstone, but I thought that was soft-it would have lots of wear after 100 years. I am hoping one of the stone experts will take a peak and weigh-in with an opinion. If not I'll try a stone forum. Judy
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I think your cabinets are very on trend. If they look yellow, it can probably be corrected with lighting. Depending on the finish, you might want to give them a good rub down with a wood conditioner, maybe something like Howard’s Feed-n-Wax to enrich the grain. (Try it on the inside of a door first.) I like your countertops, but they are awfully dark. Probably not worth replacement if you’re going to sell soon, and perhaps not in budget. I’m not a fan, generally, of black hardware, but if you cannot swap out your countertops, black might really pop on those cabinets. I strongly agree you need a backsplash with some pizzazz, and to remove that dated 4” splash. I love the tile Maureen posted. If you can get rid of it, that odd cabinet under the wine rack seems to clog up the space. I actually don’t mind the wine rack, unless you’re putting really fine vintages in it. I think you have a lovely little kitchen and it just needs a bit of polish. I would never paint those cabinets. Good luck!
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amykath
13 years ago
PLEASE DO NOT get rid of that beauty! It could work in your kitcheb... living, or bath... anywhere... I LOVE IT!

Please do not get rid of it. You can paint it cream, a french gray.. anything or leave as is... I find it beautiful!
msrose
13 years ago
I guess the question is do you have a place for it at your new house? I think it's a beautiful piece whether you keep it like it is or repurpose it.
forhgtv
13 years ago
I agree with Aktillery. That piece is very versatile. You could even use it for closed storage if you backed the glass with frosted window film.
bac717
13 years ago
Please try to find a home for your cupboard in your new house! I have a cupboard VERY similar to yours that belonged to my grandmother and is probably the same vintage as yours. I have it in my sewing room and use it to store some of my supplies in pretty containers. The not as pretty storage is on the far right and left in the hidden area.

Here is a picture I have from when I was first starting to 'decorate' the inside. I also have the decorative piece for the glass door, but it's just not in this older picture.
andee_gw
13 years ago
I have a nearly identical bedroom set. I can trace it through my family to the late '30's but don't know when it was bought before that. It should clean up beautifully with some Guardsmans or whatever. Don't be so certain it isn't worth anything. I would not paint it. And there are so many uses for it, as said above. Can't you downsize something else???
jennifer_in_kansas
13 years ago
I hope you can make it work in your new place because it's the type furniture of that adds character to a room.

I'm all for painting furniture to make it work but I think the details on this piece are interesting enough to keep it as is.

When you get into your new place post some pics and I'm sure some GWer's will let you know if it should be painted or not.

Jennifer
User
13 years ago
I'm in the process of trying to find something exactly like that for our dining room. I'd be ecstatic to have a piece like that!!! If it were mine, I'd do whatever I could to bring out all it's natural beauty. Geeze, some people have all the luck! LOL
joyce_6333
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks everyone. I had thought of using it in the bathroom, but not quite enough room in the new master bath. But the sewing storage idea might be just the thing. Hadn't thought of that. For a little cupboard, it can really hold alot of stuff. I would like to take the trim off the bottom edge. I believe grandma may have had a dog that chewed it up pretty good. I think I can remove it without damaging the rest of the cupboard. Thanks again!!
User
13 years ago
Hope you show pics of that jewel when you find a final spot for it! Sewing cabinet it exactly what I want one for too! Lucky! Lucky!
desertsteph
12 years ago
THAT is beautiful! please don't paint it! you might be surprised at it's value. if you take a piece off of the bottom, keep it. a damaged piece of wood can be repaired by a good woodworker.

that's just gorgeous! So many possibilities for use! It would make a lovely bathroom cab.

I think I have just the place for it! in my house...
oceanna
12 years ago
I love the cupboard exactly as it is. Very pretty. It does have $$ resale value, and if you paint it, it loses some of its value. The most valuable it can be is as close to its original new condition as possible. If an antique is seriously damaged, fixing it/painting it is a good idea. But yours looks pretty good. Up to you though.

It would be great filled with china, or towels in the bath, or a pretty place to hide your electronics, or display a favorite collection. It would be great in almost any room of the house.
cliff_and_joann
12 years ago
it's a gorgeous piece and so versatile.
It can be used anywhere. Even in the hallway
to house extra towels linens etc...we made a
cabinet for our hallway next to the bathroom
for this purpose.
Try cleaning it up with murphys oil soap, then
wax with butchers wax and see how you like it.
justgotabme
12 years ago
Oh good, I'm glad you'll be storing sewing supplies in it. I can just see the open shelves filled with wonderfully colored folded pieces of fabric.

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