feeling the pain models do in uncomfortable photo shoots.
When possible I generally stop for any piece of furniture I see on the side of the road. The only time I really force myself to keep driving is if I don’t have time, or the piece won’t fit in my car. My rule of thumb has nothing to do with illegal driving methods because rules behind the wheel don’t apply to Bostonians. With that being said, this piece actually came from inside the dumpster at my apartment – so there was no “flipping a bitch” on Dorchester Ave into oncoming traffic or considerately double parking on Boylston during morning rush hour, for a piece of furniture.
I walked by this piece twice before I decided to actually get into the dumpster and examine it. It was laying face down with a few trash bags on top of it. I knew it was old from the back paneling; the lauan was faded to that deep brown you see on the back of most antique dressers, which of course sparked my curiosity to see what the front looked like. After walking by the second time and giving it a good shake to see if I could actually get this thing out of there myself, I decided to give it a shot.
wardrobe in original state with mirrored doors removed due to damage.
Turned out the rotting mac & cheese which dripped out of a bag onto my pants, heavy and disgustingly smelly trash bags and the cult of bees flying around my head (highly allergic) were all worth it! It seems as though I had gotten my hands on a vintage wardrobe, from, if I had to take a guess, dating back to the late 50’s or early 60’s. It was in surprisingly good shape so I’m not really sure why someone threw it out and took the extra effort to actually put it in the dumpster. There was a bit of water damage to the side panels and feet, but nothing some clamps and super glue couldn’t fix. I did however replace the back because it had a not so pleasant stench to it.
after the back was replaced and the original finish was removed.
The entire piece was made of paneling with a simple oak veneer. I decided to have it match the dresser in my room which you can view here and go with a black and gold theme. What I like most about this piece are the doors and how light-weight it is. I now have a place for all my toiletries and hanging clothes which I did not before. With a little bit of elbow grease and some creativity, I will have a new statement piece for my bedroom.
currently adding some crown molding around the top and on the doors that originated from old windows that I collected.
Be sure to check back for the finished piece and share your thoughts with me. I will be uploading new pictures once it’s completed. The doors will no longer have mirrored panels and will be filled with matching oak paneling and more crown molding resembling wainscoting. The drawers will also be in black and have cream rounded wood knobs.
Like what you see? Perhaps you have some furniture that needs a little updating? Check out my site here and see if I can give your space a little jushing up.
