In our old house we made a great little mudroom. Last week I showed you the before and after of the bookcase I used for shoe storage. Well, across from the shoe shelf there was room for another storage piece. This time I went rummaging in my basement and found this old chest.
It was from my grandparents’ bedroom. When my mom and I were cleaning their house out I was working in their bedroom and right inside the door there was a pile of laundry. There was always a pile of laundry there. I never really thought about it because I knew it was clean, folded laundry. I guess I assumed that the pile was sitting on a table, but it wasn’t. It was set on top of a chest and the chest was covered with a small blanket. Total mystery piece. My mom had never noticed it before either so we have no idea where it came from. I am not a fan of its style, which I call “pirate-ship chic,” but I guess it’s really “Early American,” I decided I would put it into my storage space with all of the rest of the furniture and “treasures” I found. Finally it came in handy.
Sanding, primer, red glossy paint did the trick, just like with the bookcase. I had some Marimekko fabric leftover from working on a girls’ 1980s bedroom for the John Cusack movie “High Fidelity” (I save everything cute!). I added some poly fiber fill from old pillows and stretched the fabric over the top and the back piece. Now it’s a colorful and comfy place to sit, perfect for a mudroom.
Hold on to those old, good quality pieces and repurpose them!
xo
Elizabeth
