Thursday, July 19, 2012

Throw it on the Burn Pile!

My grandma called me the other day.  "Your mom said that you have been buying old furniture and fixing it up.  I have a little old table you can have, but if you don't want it, just throw it on the burn pile," she said.


I had no idea what to expect but of course told her that I would gladly take it off her hands.  When she pulled this sweet little piece out of her truck, my heart sank.  Throw it on the burn pile?  If I saw this little cabinet on a burn pile, I would crawl through soot and debris, risk spiders in my hair and scraped up knees and elbows to rescue it!


The story is, at 5 years old, my grandma was friends with an elderly neighbor man who was selling the contents of his house and moving to Pennsylvania.  She walked into his home and announced that she wanted to purchase his antique secretary (keep in mind, she was 5 years old at the time!)  When he asked her what she would do with it, she said she'd hoped to have it for her doll collection.  He then asked what she would be willing to pay, to which she replied, "five dollars."  He sold her the secretary and threw in this little cabinet, just because he was so fond of her.  She has treasured the beautiful Victorian secretary and it has been a prominent fixture in her home for as long as I remember, but she said she had never cared much for the cabinet and that her mother used it in her room for many years but most recently it had been tucked away in the storage garage.


My best guess and first thought was that this little cabinet was intended to be a child's washstand.  I am curious to know if anyone else has come across a piece like this and can offer any more insight.




I just love the beautiful, intricate hardware!

 



Chances are, this sweet little cabinet will soon be receiving the royal Annie Sloan treatment.  One things for sure, it won't be going anywhere near a burn pile!  I am thinking of using it in my new studio space, maybe to store rubber stamps or small boxes of embellishments.

 

Thank you so much for your sweet visit!  I hope you are having a lovely week! 

Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda



Sharing this post with these fun link parties:
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Potpourri Friday at 2805