2 of the little drawers. I painted all of them. They were originally wood, I think. When I received this piece, it had all been painted an unappealing yellow.
How can I make better use of this old piece of furniture?
by
Maleah Jo
+11
I think this was some type of sewing cabinet/dresser? It may have been altered-(the shelves may have been added by previous owner).
Anyway, it is on it's side, I am thinking I may need to add more photos . The little square openings are for cute drawers, I have these, they have all been painted. I would love to know what it's original use was. I think this would be great for craft storage, cleaning supplies, mini mud room type organizer. I am open to ideas with or without the drawers .....
Please don't be too harsh----I know this is a MESS ...What can I do with this to make it more useful? I realized the space behind it had TONS of room for shelves in between the studs. So this location was blocking useful space and just not being utilized well.
Here it is , without the drawers , and please note that it is on it's side. The drawers are the top. Again , I am totally OPEN to ideas. I actually think it looks cute like this. I placed it like this so that I can paint it easier.
a pic of the drawers that go in the cabinet/dresser. I would LOVE ideas on how to use these for storage , and/or decor at the same time. totally open to ideas . : paint, new knobs, etc
The only picture attached are of 2 different color drawers.
Those are drawers from an antique treadle sewing machine table that the machine set into. Please be cognitive of the fact that doing anything like painting it etc., rather than restoring it, destroys the antique value of the table.
These drawers could also be from an antique or vintage vanity like the ones that have two sides and then a shelf low between the two sides. They often have a tri-fold mirror attached. Once again, other than restoration, anything else you do to it takes away its antique or vintage value.
Hi Maleah Jo. I'm Cindy. I like it on it's side too. This piece would work great in a mud room. You could put hooks in each long section to hang coats and jackets. The cubbies could be used to store shoes. It looks like a pair of shoes would fit in the cubbies just right. For the drawers, paint them and hang them on a wall for displaying pictures, candles, remotes, etc. Best of luck from Cindy.
Hi Maleah,
It almost reminds me of an old office telephone system where you would plug in wires to connect the caller to the person on the phone. Of course, all of the electrical parts are gone and it looks like the back was replaced and the shelves added. If that's what it was, the little boxes at the top would have been used for mail or keys.
I like your idea of using it for mud room organizer, but I'd use it on it's side. Each long section could belong to one person. You could put a shelf at the top or each section for larger items, hang hooks for coats and backpacks, and leave the bottom for shoes or boots. The small drawers which would now be on the side could be assigned to family members with their names. Each person could have one for mail, one for keys, one for scarves and anything thing else that is small that needs a storage space.
You could paint it any color that compliments or matches your decor, then possibly use wallpaper or contact paper along the back wall of each section so that each person could have their own look. It certainly is a fascinating item. I hope you find a great use for it in your home!
It appears to be part of a display in a store with the boxes on the bottom for buttons or whatever for sewing and the shelves were for fabric. I do see what the others are saying about using it for cubbies in a mudroom. It would also be great in a craft room or as a closet for a small child. I would do some sanding and find out the original color. It looks like it has been painted several times and has a heavy look. I would go with a lighter color like ivory or ecru or a bright color. Have fun with your choices and enjoy this wonderful piece of history.
They're old sewing machine drawers. I would hang them on the wall as shelving.