I have a friend who has her grandmothers cradle in her very elegant living room. It has a couple of quilts, a fluffy throw, and some big pillows in it. It's meant to store those items so that when you want one when lounging on the sofa, they're at hand, and at other time they're out of the way. So much prettier and easier than tucking the things in a trunk, and it shows off the pretty cradle. I plan on doing the same with DS's cradle in our family room. They could easily be used in a guest room for extra pillows and linnens as well, or if you have a very large bathroom it would be an excellent towel holder for pretty folded towels. You could also put a cookie sheet in the bottom and use it for plants, but you really do want to protect it if you do that. Personally...I would find a place for it in my nursery if my mother had one. In my family these are traditional items to pass down. I had one but it was loaned to a cousin who's home burnt down with my cradle in it. It had been my grandmothers and it was a heartbreaking loss. I would use it as it's intended if I had a baby, and did so with DS with the cradle I did find for him (an antique). At that age, if the paint isn't peeling, there's really no danger since they aren't moving (ie squirming and sticking their heads in between the bars). Even this can be prevented with a cradle bumper pad. Once the bay is moving, a cradle isn't safe anyhoo, but again, I'd incorporate it in the nursery to store blankets and stuffed toys in as a decor item. I say all of this because I wouldn't want you to totally dismiss the original intended use for it with your grandchildren if that's a possability :) To a mom with a heart and love of traditions it would be an amazingly special thing :) Even if only on loan while baby is tiny.

I clean them out and keep putting the covers through the dishwasher a few times to get the smell to go away. I love that they are airtight. One was a pretty shape so I put it on the table with cranberry sauce in it. It was festive looking and popped the cover on to put in the fridge when finished. Others I use for food storage at the cottage so no little critters will get. Corn starch, salt, brown sugar and have dried herbs from the garden in a few.

I like ideas for repurposing but this has a couple of things that prevent it working. All will go as planed for a while and aside to problem you mentioned with t-stat,coils will begin frosting and soon ice over. Don't become discouraged,you are using your head and that's good.

Gosh don't tell me I'm the only one with "stuff" they don't know what to do with? I have this. It's from a house my parents bought that was built in 1900. It's the back from a fireplace, but IIRC the fireplace was more modern so gas, maybe? It's NOT iron...I'm not sure what it is, really. The center circle opens up via a hinge and it's about 20 wide by 27 high. It would fit my fireplace perfectly, but it would be sitting sideways :( Anyway. Would you get rid of it and try to exorcise your sentimentality, put it back in the closet, or try to so something (?) with it?