I came across an antique hardware cabinet over a year ago and fell in love with it. Being too long for any wall in my 1840's cottage, I had to forget about it. Then I saw it again this summer and realized ... I'm super-stupid. It was made of wood and wood can be CUT. So cut it I did. Here are the results.
Listen, I know you are all interested in what this cabinet looks like after being cut down, but mainly what you want to know is Did the pig's head stay? Yes. It did.
I am pleased to report he's happily keeping watch over my kitchen as he always has, perched above my new, old antique cabinet; which is now 13" shorter than it was 2 months ago.
What kind of sorcery does it take to shrink a solid wood cabinet down by 13"? Just chuck it in the dryer. Just kidding, that would never work. The sound of it clunking around in there would make you a crazy person.
The resizing of this early 1900's cabinet required the skills of a rather talented Polish man to hack away at it.
It was cut down the centre and then pushed together again. The seams were disguised and aged, and the cabinet was given new supports to maintain it's structural integrity.
So there's a seam down the centre of it that you really can't see. In fact I don't think I've noticed it even once.
Had I wanted a completely invisible repair, they could have taken the entire cabinet apart, made it shorter and put it all back together but that also would have taken a lot more time in the dryer and therefore a lot more money.
This isn't exactly a fine piece of furniture. It's rustic. So a seam down the middle isn't going to take away from its beauty at all.
If You Had to Change it, Why Buy it?
That's your question, right? I bought it for a few reasons.
- I loved the original metal numbers on every drawer.
2. It's only 13" deep which is rare for a large cabinet. 13" is what I had space for.
3. I needed more storage.
4. There was just something about it.
A lot of times we can't put our finger on why we love something so much. That was the case with this cabinet.
I loved how my white brick wall looked before with my collection of rolling pins hanging on antique french curtain tie backs but ... I needed room for STUFF. You can see how the wall looked before in this post.
For now every single drawer is still empty. Partly because I still haven't washed the interior of all 54 drawers and partly because I really have to plan what I'm going to put in those drawers and how I'm going to remember what's in them all.
O.K., this is PROOF at how bad I'm going to be at remembering what's in all those drawers. I just this moment realized I do have something in one of the larger lower drawers - I have the far right one filled with dry cat food and a scoop. I just lined the drawer with some waxed paper and poured it right in.
See? Cat food. And horrifically ugly knobs. But I'll deal with those later.
Taking a look at the cabinet head on, you can see that the cabinet doesn't look like it was altered at all in any way.
For reference, this is what it looked like before it was cut down to size.
Two side by side sets of small drawers and one large drawer were removed right down the middle. An interesting note about those drawers. If you look closely you'll notice one drawer doesn't have a number on it like the rest of them do.
Further inspection shows that this drawer has NEVER had a number on it. There are no holes or patched holes on the inside or the outside of the drawer.
The drawer is drawer number 13. That's how superstitious people were back in the day. I plan on keeping my evil eyes in the drawer.
Just the storage on the shelves of the cabinet has allowed me to clear out a full cupboard and shelf in my kitchen by moving things around.
This might not be how it stays, this is how I put things in there quickly during my mad rush to get it presentable before Thanksgiving guests arrived. I picked the cabinet up just a couple of days before I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 15 people.
My ironstone and perpetually tarnished silverware has never looked better.
I'm going to live with the cabinet for a little while before I decide on knobs for it. The knobs on the lower big drawers are what irk me the most. They're plastic as far as I can tell and weirdly deep. The knobs on the little drawers are a mix of old and tarnished, which I like, and new and plasticy and shiny which I do not like.
Nor does the little pig.
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GerriAnn Constantino
Karen, this looks great! What are you doing with the two drawers from each row that were taken out? Also, have re drawers been reorganized numerically? Beautiful piece.
Karen
Not sure what I"ll do with the extra drawers, but honestly, for the time being anyway - nothing, lol. ~ karen!
Janet Goddard
Beautiful!
Edie Marie
I can see why you fell in love with it! There truly are things you see and become enchanted by them. Your cabinet turned out so fabulous Karen! I myself would have to have a clipboard hanging on the end of the cabinet listing what's in which drawer... God be with you!!
Blessings, Edie Marie
Karen
That's also a good idea. I wonder if I can find an old, wood clipboard. ~ karen!
Jane Baker
Actually, I have two clipboards that were used in my husband's grandfather's hardware store in Manitoba with unique metal hangers that you turn sideways to open. One even has 'THE OFFICE SPECIALTY MFG. CO. LTD. TORONTO CANADA' stamped into the metal. There is even a heavy old metal two hole punch that goes with them. You're welcome to them if you want them. I finally started using them in my office just before moving last year or they were going to have to go to the dump or the share shed but to be honest, they don't work well for me at all. I'm only using them because I would hate to see such neat old things that still work well be trashed. You're welcome to them if you want them or want photos. Just let me know.
Karen
Hi Jane! I'm sure I'd love one but I haven't quite decided how I'm going to catalogue these drawers and if I didn't end up using the clipboard then I'd feel guilty, lol. ~ karen!
Jenny W
Swoon!
Eileen
Use an index card and list each item. You already have the numbers on the drawers so it's meant to be. Gorgeous piece of furniture. BTW, that is not a little pig!!
Sandra Lea
I need to know where I can get a pig's head just like that one. Oh, and the cabinet is great too!
Mary
Love it!
It looks fantastic in your kitchen like it was meant to be there.
Great find.
Ina
I could never put cat food or any kind of unprotecetd foodstuff in a drawer. Where I come from (the Lowveld, South Africa) any type of food, even dry cubes, would be teeming with ants and goggas (insects) in no time. We even keep our flour in the deep freeze!
Connie Bridgham
Karen: Karen: This is gorgeous. What a fabulous idea. You are brilliant.
Karen
Thanks Connie. It took me a year to figure out a solution but it worked out! ~ karen
Wendy
Your cabinet is lovely. I have a large cabinet similar to yours in some ways with 72 drawers. You do end up filling it up...I did! However, remembering what’s in them can be a chore. I found some antique looking label holders online to put on mine from an online antique hardware shop. That could work for you too! Or you can just (by trial & error) eventually memorize where things are. Hahaha! Enjoy! It’s stunning!
Emily
I agree label holders would be the easiest solution. Any kind of index or clipboard still adds an extra step of matching the drawer number to the contents. Lazy me wants to just look at a drawer and know what's in it.
I would probably mentally divide the cabinet into sections, like spices on the top row in semi-alphabetical order, gadgets on the bottom row, etc. Even without any labels, I would only have to open 2-3 wrong drawers to find something I didn't use every day.
If you find you don't actually need that many drawers, could some of the small ones be combined to open as one double-wide drawer? So it still looks like two drawers from the outside.
I LOVE how this looks. Your rolling pin wall was pretty, but this is so much more functional and still gorgeous!!
Lez
Beautiful! Personally I love the brass knobs, the small ones anyway. I would leave them on.
Interesting on the lack of Number 13!
I didn't think of mice with the cat food, but I did think it may make other things in the drawers smell like fish/cat food!
Grammy
Breathtaking. It looks exactly like I imagined, and you must honestly be the happiest girl in the world.
Now I look forward to seeing what you do with the seven small and one large leftover drawers — no idea what it will be, but I know I’m going to envy it.
There are excellent apps for inventory of books, music, movies, etc., cheap and easy to use. One of them is going to be exactly what you need to let you check where what you want is located. Many are free to try, then you can pay a tiny price to purchase one of them if you find it works for you but need more.
Sarah
It looks fab - what a great job he did on it ! I'd like to know what became of the 3 extra drawers...I hope he made them into a cupboard/shelf unit or something. Can't bear to think they've been chucked..
And yes, good luck with remembering what's in each drawer ! You'll have to make up a crib sheet with the numbers and contents on !
Juliana
I f-ing LOVE it! Your wall was too barren, and it was perfectly adjusted for you. Somehow I managed to bring your blog up in normal chitchat everyday this week. I feel like a weirdo
Sabina
Oh yeah, I do that too..."well Karen says.."
Karen
I don't think that seems weird at all. I brought my blog up in normal chitchat everyday this week too. ~ karen!
M J Korbol
🤩WOW‼️ Your “new” cabinet is down right friggin’ AWESOME‼️ I so love ❤️ your eclectic design & that cabinet is absolutely perfect for your kitchen. I think it has much more character than the brick wall‼️ You are an interior design artist ~ I so enjoy all of your posts. Thank you for allowing us into your wonderful abode‼️
Karen
As I see it you have three choices. #1 Spend a week or so placing things and memorizing where they are ( which will only work if you have a decent memory.) #2 Place things in alphabetical order (and then repe the alphabet every time you need to find something.)
#3 Make a little book which lists the items in alphabetical order and the drawer said items are in.
Paula
It looks awesome! The tone of the wood matches your island and your sink countertop and everyone needs room for more stuff.
Karen
Tiny stuff. ;) ~ karen!
tucsonpatty
(I do realize this is not a library card catalog. Just commenting on another's wish.)
tucsonpatty
Oh My Heart! I knew I would love every little thing about this gorgeous hunk of love-ly wooden cabinetry. I also wish for an affordable card catalog. Whatever I would put into the drawers would never again see the light of day. I might just leave them empty. Folks have suggested filling the drawers with bottles of wine, but I don't drink, so... Congratulations on the two new members of your family - your floors and your cabinet!
Karen
Thanks Patty! I have a friend who has a similar house to mine that she bought recently. She's frustrated that it's still needs soooo much work. But, this particular house of mine has been almost 20 years in the making. And I still have my office and bathroom to do! ~ karen
Tine Lisberg from Denmark
Åhhhh Karen - Hvor er det bare et flot stykke møbel (It's just such a beautiful peace of funiture). Jeg forstår godt, hvorfor du har forelsket dig i det (I do understand why you have fallen in love with it). :o)
Karen
Tak Tine! It feels at home here. ~ karen!