October 10, 2011

Relic - An Unusual Chest of Drawers ...


 I usually start a piece of furniture with a slight vision... 
My vision usually takes a few curves along the way.
This old chest of drawers is from a Penn State University dormitory, stamped on the back 1942.  
It seems that way back in the day if you were accepted as a student your room was a bit furnished.  
I am sure this piece has some stories to tell !  It was pretty filthy when it arrived in my garage.  
It had been living in a storage shed for a long time.



Someone had drilled a hole in the back end, maybe held some stereo equipment back in the 80's ?





The knobs are what makes this piece a conversation piece.

They came about by accident.  I really wanted to replace the original wooden knobs with cool melon or turquoise Anthropologie knobs.  That was not in the cards on creation day.
So, I made these.



Yes, Modge Podge does rock.

I was just going to do dictionary knobs on the top 2 drawers ...
Then I thought, what the heck, I have a VERY large dictionary.  
One more cup of coffee, and I couldn't stop.




These knobs were NOT part of the original vision.  But, taking the road less traveled has taught me something new, and made all the difference.
Each knob is unique, some have little pictures, some do not.  





This did not receive a girlie makeover, it just didn't have a girlie vibe.




This piece has since been sold (I was a little worried that it may be a bit too weird for the masses).  
I don't create furniture makeovers for everybody.  My sense of style is all over the map.  Each piece has such a different personality - I just try to make the best of each situation, and hope that each makeover speaks to someone looking for that something special & as unique as they are.


Wag More, Bark Less

~ SOLD ~

6 comments:

  1. What a unique chest of drawers. You really brought it up-to-date with a fun new look. As a Penn Stater, I would have to hold-on to this piece!

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  2. Love this piece..Great job, Congrats on having it sold! Love the idea that the dorm logo was stamped on the back!

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  3. I just found this on pinterest! GREAT job! We are re-finishing a dresser to use as a tv stand and I want the drawer fronts to drop open on hinges like this to hold the WII/DVD Player, etc. Can you tell me what sort of hinges you used?

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    1. To answer your question about the hinges, I did not install them. The dresser came that way when I found it. I believe the hinges are original to the dresser (from the 40's). I'm afraid I did not do any construction on this old piece, just clean up and paint is all I can take credit for ! But, please steal the idea ... A false drawer is a great idea, but would take some construction know how.
      Good luck with your project and thanks for the compliment and comment!

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  4. What paint/color did you use for this? I am painting a dresser gray this weekend and LOVE the color of this!!

    http://ourtinyhomeinboston.blogspot.com/

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  5. It is Beautiful!!! And the Knobs are Pure Genius. Thank You for Sharing Your Artistry with us.

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