Need ideas and thoughts for this printers cabinet, please.

Question

I have this very tall (6 feet) Printer's cabinet (old, but not necessarily an antique) that I need to do something with. Should I paint it? Just clean it up and stain it? Would it be cute if I labeled the drawers (either numbered or alphabets)? Thoughts, ideas, suggestions would be appreciated, as I am stumped!

Wanda Craft · Answer

Lucky duck! I LOVE it! I'd leave it pretty much as is. I'm not a paint hater, far from it. We paint lots of stuff, but if it looks half as good as it does in the picture, I say don't paint. But those door panels don't jive very well. I wonder if you replaced them with glass or gathered fabric?

Carol Paulus-Kalis · Answer

These drawers are wonderful. I would keep my candles--votives, tea lights, tapers, floaters in the drawers. You could also use for gift wrappings and greeting cards, or you could put your kitchen utensils in the drawers. I love this cabinet. So much potential. I would repaint it. Even though the wood seems to be nice, it's kind of dreary and a paint job would give it a nice lift. Enjoy this wonderful piece. Lucky you!
Carol Bensenville, IL

Belinda Todd · Answer

I love it just the way it is. I would just fix the doors.

Denise Lynch · Answer

Beautiful piece. Wish you lived closer-so would love to have it! I don't normally like to paint pieces like this, but Painted white or cream, clean up the hardware and it would look brand new and could serve so many uses. I could see this in my bedroom or an entry hall or a transition piece between two open spaced rooms.

Blbdees · Answer

give the cabinet a good deep cleaning, wax the cabinet add cup screws to the area you can open up and give the prospective buyer an idea of a wonderful jewerly armoire it would be perfect to display and find what you need in a moments notice. Good luck wish I lived closer I'd surely find room for it in my home.

Linda Miller Busby · Answer

I would change the hinges on the door panels to match the drawer pulls and add door knobs to match those on the doors also.

Linda Miller Busby · Answer

You could also remove the centers of the door panels and place inside as shelves and leave that are open or place seeded glass inside the door frame.

Jackie Bowers · Answer

I LOVE IT!!!
I just wish you lived closer! I'd buy it as is!

Rose · Answer

Hi,If it were mine I would clean up the outside wood and the pulls,put a coat of bees wax on the wood and use it to store all my rubber stamp and lay out some other craft tools,I always wanted one like that,I love it .good luck with itcan you post a picture when your done??

Barb · Answer

OMG! If you want to sell it DON'T paint it! Fix the doors and clean it with a wood furniture cleaner. Wish you weren't so far away from Maine because I would love to buy it!

Jean Hughes Heubach · Answer

@MaryLou I replied above but was not sure if you would see it. I would like to know how much you are wanting to sell this for? I am truely interested as is. Just let me know.

Rosemary Kelly · Answer

It's beautiful! I'd just rehang the doors and clean it up.

Country Design Home · Answer

Hi- If you are going to sell this, then I would just polish it up with some Lemon Oil Scratch Cover-it adds a deep shine and covers up any minor imperfections. Aside from the fact that it will take you literally days to paint it, someone might want it to be polished wood. If you paint it, you may be limiting your potential buyers.

Dee · Answer

Wish you would sell it to me . . . I would love it pretty much as is! Just clean it up but DON'T STRIP or PAINT . . . those handles will be great once cleaned.

Angelia Christenson · Answer

I bought a set of 'scratch markers' once at ace hardware and still have them and use them. There are four color finishes and its pretty easy to cover up knicks that are thru the varnish with them...start out lighter and slowly go with the darker ones...the really dark one is nearly BLACK. I cleaned up my Thomasville triple drawer dresser with those really good and cleaned the headboard that is in the front of a window and apparantly got MISTED by rain from time to time and kinda molded up with lightly scrubbing with green scrubber and murphys oil...didnt hurt the finish at all and everything looked like it did when i was sixteen again. I really thought i had a complete refinish job on my hands and thomasville had lots of grooves and nooks and crannies so was NOT looking forward to that...ha

Dee · Answer

Me again, if you want to be a little different CAREFULLY take out the middle panel of the doors and preserve (tack 'em on to the underside or something) and put in glass panels. You might find some old wavy glass that would really look the age yet modernize. or perhaps some metal fretwork to match/echo the look of the handles. But please keep all the original parts. If you don't someday you will wish you had.

Tammysuzie · Answer

Oh my that's beautiful! Just please don't paint it! Fix it up a little ..rehang  door. ..restain if necessary ...but it's beautiful maybe brass nameplates on the drawers.

Katrina Warren · Answer

Ooohhhhhhh...... I Love it! Other than repairing the doors, & possibly adding label holders to the drawers I wouldn't change a thing, it's amazing as is! Wish I had one!

Kay Taylor · Answer

If there is a way to remove three of the smaller drawers face without messing up the integrity of the piece, make a deeper drawer and put the faces on the front of the new drawer and it would make a nice clothing cabinet. Make as many as you need.

LibrarianTellsAll · Answer

I would do nothing to it; it's perfect as is! I've been searching for something similar in our price range for a while. My husband does electronic prototyping, and he needs something with shallow, small drawers like this to organize and store tiny electrical components. JEALOUS. :)

Jacque · Answer

This would make a beautiful thread and embroidery thread chest in a sewing room, I would buy it too

MaryLou · Answer

Thank you all for the feedback. Will clean it up, fix the hinges, and use bees wax or Old English on it.

Kay Boling · Answer

It's a lovely oak antique and if you paint it, you will destroy its value!
I would polish it with OLD ENGLISH, use the scratch cover version, if it has dings and chips.
It will glow afterwards!!

Carol · Answer

I have a very similar unit. I always wondered what it was. I do not think mine is a printers cabinet. Maybe I will post pics of mine and see what you all think. What is unique about mine is that it can be reconfigured . It has stackable units and one central cabinet with a mirrored door.

Ebbytwin2572 · Answer

@MaryLou,Georgetown TX, so glad to hear you are not going to paint this chest. They are getting harder to find and in as good shape as yours.

Pati · Answer

oh my goodness.... I know what - you can sell it to me (I'm only an hour north of you!) And I would use it to store my rocks and crystals collection. But I am delighted to hear you won't paint it - that would be such a shame.

Pati · Answer

Following!

Ada809336 · Answer

It would make a great high end jewelry armoir.

Cindy arnold · Answer

An artist would love this to store there different papers, finished work etc.... Sell it or give it to a friend who is an artist

Mtrevino · Answer

Mary lou,like they say we don't know how lucky we are until someone else tells us they would like one of whatever. So do enjoy your cabinet and remember that others would wish they had a cabinet like yours.

Need ideas and thoughts for this printers cabinet, please.

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Need ideas and thoughts for this printers cabinet, please.

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