Recently, I acquired a china cabinet. I had seen this cabinet a decade earlier, but paid no attention to it, as it didn’t make an impression on me. Now it is offered to me since the owner did not wish to transport it and no longer had use for it. The task of getting it from the owner’s residence to mine was complicated; such pieces as this china cabinet are rarely light in weight nor compact enough for most vehicles. The giver was as relieved to be rid of the piece as I was disappointed to see it again.
Once it was in our garage, I had to figure out what to do with it. I had thought of a client or two who might make use of it; but that all changed when I inspected the cabinet again, as it was either the wrong style or too large for each of them.
I thought of removing the top piece and moving the bottom part to my office, and replacing a pair of small dresser drawers I use as a base for a work surface. For some time that seemed to be the only solution, but it left the upper portion without a use and therefore wasted, which is a difficult thing for me to accept. I had no other use for it.
While I kept my eyes and ears open for someone who might use this piece, I knew I had to get it out of the garage before my husband took action on his own.
The cabinet had a trim piece on the upper portion that I found most disagreeable and it appeared too “country” for my current aesthetic, which is a combination of country and traditional with a toss to modern dramatic colors.
My husband agreed to remove the offending trim piece, which proved more difficult than first thought, of course. Once that was done, the cabinet took on a more modern look with its Dental Molding at the top. I think what had bothered me most was its combination of styles, although one might think it would fit right in with my odd style sensibility.
I hired a painter to sand, prime and spray the piece to match my kitchen cabinets that were painted a number of years ago in black. I thought the carriage of the large black piece in the dining room, would help unify it to the open concept kitchen that I love.
With new hardware and clean glass and mirrors, the piece is a lovely stand out in the dining room and does not resemble its former self. Having vision is an important part of design.
Now, my problem is what to do with the true antique cabinet this piece replaced!