This is what one of my kitchen walls looks like right now. I love it. It's one of the few things in my house I know is exactly right. So it only makes sense that I should completely change it.
I know. I agree and understand your outrage. It's a perfect wall. White painted brick with bits of original wood stuck in there. Antique French curtain tie backs holding my collection of rolling pins. Plus of course - that pig's head.
So why change it? Because I left the house. And nothing good ever comes from leaving the house. Leaving the house invariably means spending money, so it really is best to never leave your house. (blocking Amazon on your browser is an additional safety measure one should consider)
Last summer I went to a Sunday antique market and spotted something that made my heart stop. I went home, measured my kitchen and realized it wouldn't fit. This summer I went back to that Sunday antique market and saw it was still there. Apparently it wouldn't fit in anyone's kitchen.
So I took a good look at it again, determined it could easily be made a bit smaller and that was it. I bought it. The brick wall that I love so much was going to be covered up to make room for something I loved even more. This.
Granted, it's in a bit of a "state" in this photo, but you get the idea of what it looks like. The reason I had a hard time letting go of it is because a) it's beautiful and b) it's narrow. It's as narrow as the bench that I have running along my brick wall.
That means I'll still be able to get around the cabinet with no problem PLUS it'll hold a heck of a lot more than 6 or 7 rolling pins. In a house that's 180 years old there isn't a lot of storage. In a small house that's 180 years old there's even less storage. More of a cottage really. The kind of thing a family of gnomes would feel comfortable in.
So the cabinet will go along that brick wall giving me storage for STUFF.
The cabinet doesn't come to the ceiling so the white brick will still be visible for about a foot and a half above the cabinet.
It *will* however, completely change the feeling of the kitchen. Even though it's narrow (the top cubby holes are only 7" deep) it will make the kitchen feel more closed in. And it's dark. So it will darken the kitchen a bit.
I'm preparing myself mentally for that. In fact I'm preparing myself for a kitchen that feels like a dark, cramped hovel so that when the cabinet is put in place it'll be a refreshing realization that it isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
I find it best to trick myself in these types of situations, and luckily I'm very good at tricking myself.
The cabinet was made for holding nails, screws and other hardware. I'm guessing it came from an old hardware store, I'm going to try to find out more abou tit. It's built from quarter sawn oak. Each drawer has a metal, numbered label on it. The knobs are hideous and will eventually be replaced with something more authentic.
The drawers as I mentioned are hilariously small. Good for spices and toupees and that's about it. Or so I thought until I realized if I wanted to, I could use part of it for a seed storage catalogue.
The issue with it not fitting is this. The cabinet (which looks weirdly small in the photo below that shows the owner measuring it) is 91" long. 12.25" longer than my wall. Which is the exact measurement of 2 rows of drawers.
If I take the middle section of the cabinet out, including 2 rows of small drawers, and one of the larger drawers and push the cabinet back together - it will fit perfectly.
I was a bit worried that would ruin the look of the piece. Part of what's so great about it is the size. But I think it'll still be mighty big enough to have an impact.
I was going to attempt this reconstruction myself but then decided I'd rather pay someone to do it right. I know a guy.
This is the cabinet as it is now (full length).
And this is what it will look like once its reduced in size. I still can't get over how weirdly small it looks in these photos.
The cabinet is getting delivered from the antique market directly to the man who will reconstruct it and when it's done I'll pick it up and bring it home.
Until then - I'm not leaving the house.
Have a good weekend!
Marlene Stephenson
What a gorgeous old piece, it will look wonderful in your kitchen. You can use those drawers for more things than you imagine,at the very least it will be fun to see. Am anxious to see how it looks and what you have put in it.
Laura Lee
My only question is...Did you SMELL it!? I know how old antique wood can have a funky odor, and I was also wondering how long it would take to clean and sanitize this new friendly beast must have addition. (I'm sure it will get along well with your pig and other essential kitchen decor hahahaa) Soooo...let us know how the cleaning and sanitizing goes once you get it back...enquiring minds want to know! ;-)
Karen
I once took a Yorkshire pudding right out of my niece's mouth and ate it. I won't be sanitizing the cabinet, lol. As far as cleaning I won't clean it much either. I'll dust it and condition the wood, clean out the drawers etc. But you can't scrub something like this. You'd lose the patina. And the flavour. ;) ~ karen!
Teddee Grace
Absolutely love it! I need that storage. Can't wait to see what it looks like after its surgery and is in place in your kitchen.
Karen
Me too. On all counts. :) ~ karen!
Jody
This is why you should always leave your house! It's a beaut.
Karen
Bahaha! Nooooo, no more house leaving. Ever. ~ karen!
Stephanie Orasi-Fitzpatrick
I LOVE it Karen!!! Well done! Can't wait to see it in your kitchen....that is great storage for so many kitchen items...& food....you just need to remember which drawer you put it all in!
Karen
I'll for sure remember it all. I mean it's only like 50 or 60 drawers. Hahahahah! Oh god. I'm gonna have to make a list. ~ karen!
Ruth
I was liking the look of some of the drawers taken out. You could artfully leave a few out to see the white brick behind. Or not.
Lois M Baron
I never go out of the house anyway. There is Fresh Air out there.
(mostly kidding)
Lynn
Love the look of the cabinet and what you are going to have done with it. Only thing i might add your guy do is perhaps take some of the little drawers and make them into larger drawers by combining them together. Have the same look on outside but more useful.
Tiny drawers look fantastic it has just been my experience living in a small home that storage must fit what you have , otherwise you just have a beautiful piece an no storage. This picture is of a little chest , it looks like 9 drawers but is actually 3 that can be divided into 3 spaces on the inside. It was a fantastic find for me. It’s just a thought...
Sabina
Love it!
Beth W.
A) your photoshopping skills are on point! If only it would be that easy to cut it to size.
B) I'm jealous. So jealous. But also proud. This is a wonderful piece that deserves to live in the home of someone who will appreciate the craftsmanship, and also fill it with something unique. Hopefully all the drawers fit in each cubby so that when you put the drawers back in after it's been cut, that you can put them in order again. The virgo in me would need them in order...
Can't wait to see it in it's new home - with the boar head proudly centred above it, and maybe rolling pins on mounted horizontally now? So jealous ;)
Eileen
o m g.
I am so jealous I can barely type.
That thing is gorgeous. I'm sure it will be absolutely perfect.
If not, please shoot me an email and I will take it off your hands!
Mary W
I thought it was a card catalog from an old library. It is magnificent! Perfectly appropriate word for something this big and beautiful. I can't wait to see it finished and all that you can store. Congrats on your new baby.
Maryanne
What a fantastic find! Life is about evolving - you are awesome to be making the change to the cabinet and to the kitchen and making room for something new. It's going to be great for small kitchen tool storage too. I think it'll look fantastic - and not darken your kitchen too much. You've got big windows across from the cabinet that should reflect some light back. Can't wait to see the finished project!
P.S. There is a typo in the paragraph that contains "I’m guessing it came from an old hardware store, I’m going to try to find out more ..." ;)
Karen
Might be a typo. Might not. ;) ~ karen!
Ev Wilcox
I will miss seeing the hanging rolling pins, but you are right about older houses not having storage! My house is 212 yrs old. Any storage was added through the years. That is something I have NEVER understood-they had to make everything by hand, and would have had a lot of bits and dabs of STUFF with which to do it! Where oh where did they store it?! Where did they put their clothes for heaven's sake?!
Can't wait to see it in your kitchen and functioning. Well done Karen.
TAMMI L DUIS
What a beautiful piece! I can't wait to see it in your kitchen. If you are looking for hardware, D. Lawless is the place to go! https://www.dlawlesshardware.com/ They have beautiful, antique reproduction pieces, including these pulls: https://www.dlawlesshardware.com/label-holders.html
Karen
Thanks Tammi! I'll probably look in Canada first but if that fails me I'll branch out to the US. ~ karen!
Alena
So you are getting only the upper part, the drawers, without the 'table' underneath? Cuz that looks much deeper.
And please do tell us more about the tit once your find out! I find tits' histories particularly fascinating!! ;-)
Julie
I'm so jealous! Been looking for anything similar (in my price range), no luck. Don't really have a spot for it. Downsized & had to put my Hoosier in basement...good place for drying herbs, etc. So drawer piece, if found would be down there too.Congrats on find!
Shawna in Charleston
Fabulously wonderful apothecary cabinet! You know, if you do get tired of the tiny drawers, you can have a cabinet maker take the faces off some of them and join them together to make a false fronted larger drawer or drawers. Still not very deep, but perhaps a bit more useful...maybe long enough to hold rolling pins! :)
jaine kunst
What a score!! So good you bought it because if you hadn't you would have regretted it forever. I still have dreams about a table I walked away from 12 years ago. Can't wait to see photos of it in your kitchen.
Mia
This may/may not be an error...
"I’m going to try to find out more abou tit. "
Wanda
I am glad you commented!!! I thought it was a missed typo, and then I thought "No, Karen is intentional in her writing." And then the 4 year old in my head said "Karen said TIT!!!"
I may find myself using this phrase.....
Karen
;) ~ karen!
Katie C.
I'm glad I'm not the only child in the group. I was going to comment, "Hee hee... you said 'tit'!" :)