30 Jan From Antique Phonograph Cabinet To Modern Chest
When I first saw this old phonograph cabinet at an estate sale, I was immediately attracted to the dentil molding and the fretwork. It was in two pieces, the top cabinet portion, and the bottom drawer piece. I paid around $80 for it, and I distinctly remember I needed a good amount of help getting it to the car. It is solid wood and weighed a ton!
I thought I still had the “before” photo on my phone, but when it took a swim in the toilet last year, I lost a bunch of images. But you can get the idea in the photo below. It was a dark wood with black hinges, and it was pretty scratched up.
We needed something in the bedroom to hold my husband’s folded items, so I knew it would be perfect in there! The previous owner of this cabinet had the phonograph removed and added four drawers inside the doors. Storage galore! When I took it to my lacquer guy for its shiny new exterior, I decided I wanted the inside to be lacquered also.
I chose a pretty, creamy white for the outside, and a cool aqua blue on the inside.
The little “color surprise” on the inside always makes me happy. (more about my pretty lady painting here)
Not to mention, hello STORAGE!!
In case you are wondering, that is really how the inside of my drawers look. I did not style the photo. As a daughter of two parents in the retail business, I know how to fold correctly! What can I say, it’s bred into me. : )
The combination of the dentil molding and fretwork had me at first glance. But new hardware was in order to give my furniture piece (I had both pieces attached together to make one) a fresh look. I got my oval polished nickel rings from Horton Brasses, and the mercury glass looking knobs from Anthropologie.
To the left of the chest is the door to the master bathroom currently gutted and under renovation. In fact, this fretwork inspired my bathroom tile choices! Stay tuned…
This piece is at least eighty years old, and with a new coat of paint, it looks refreshingly modern and classic. Some things just never go out of style…
Emily
Posted at 16:56h, 30 JanuaryI’m in love with this entire vignette Grace. You find the best pieces and turn them into special heirlooms! And, pass over that mirror while you are at it! L.O.V.E!!!!
Grace
Posted at 22:11h, 30 JanuaryThanks Emily! I do love that mirror. It actually came with a dresser I had in our room for a few years, and I sold the dresser and held onto the mirror. I loved it! Thanks for noticing. 😉 And thank you for the comment, G
emily
Posted at 18:56h, 30 Januaryso pretty! i love seeing it close up, but i hope you post a picture from farther away, because it’s hard to get a sense of the scale of the cabinet, plus i would love to see it in all its glory! and…how do you find a lacquer guy? any tips?
Grace
Posted at 22:20h, 30 JanuaryHey Emily, that is such a good point! I actually had a full photo in when I was writing the post, and I ended up taking it out because it turned out a little blurry. I will take one tomorrow and insert it! Stay tuned! And thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
PS – in reference to the lacquer guy…I will tell you, it is difficult to find someone that TRULY lacquers. I have found that custom auto shops are a great place to start. They KNOW lacquer, and you may have to call around, but you can typically find pretty good prices. (but you should know, since lacquer uses oil, it is expensive) When I am on the hunt for the right person, I will take a few different people small tables to lacquer. I can then compare the work and make my decision. Hope that helps, and please let me know if you need anything else! G
emily
Posted at 05:59h, 31 JanuaryThanks so much for all your advice! I’ll start hunting!
Jill
Posted at 20:52h, 30 JanuaryI’m in love with that mirror!
xo~Jill
Grace
Posted at 22:21h, 30 JanuaryHey Jill, thanks so much! I actually really love it, too. It came with a dresser I bought and sold, and I hung onto the mirror because I liked it so much. It has moved all over with us, but I like the looks of it in our bedroom. Thanks for noticing, and for taking the time to comment! G
angela
Posted at 10:46h, 04 FebruaryThis is styled so perfectly! Just gorgeous! I shared this (with a link back to you) on a post today as one of my favorite things that I’ve pinned this week. 🙂 Following you on bloglovin’
Have a great day!
Angela @ Number Fifty-Three
Grace
Posted at 14:12h, 04 FebruaryAngela, thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it, and I appreciate the shout out! xoxo, G