Wash Stand Workover!

First, I have a bit of a confession (boy, I am always confessing something or another, lol) -- I am a little obsessed with chests of drawers of the vintage variety. I have a mini one in my kitchen for holding kitchen linens and a larger one in my dining room that I use as a sideboard and it holds dining room linens. I really thought I had all this old house could handle and had even passed by a couple in recent years -- that is until last September.

Well, I should back up and tell you about my last visit to my Minnesota friend and her gorgeous home full of antiques. She had recently acquired a vintage washstand. It was positively gorgeous and I found myself in a state of coveting. I didn't have room for one but I WANTED one JUST LIKE HERS. After our visit, I pretty much put that lovely piece out of my mind -- had to -- I didn't have the room or the budget for one, so it wasn't to be -- until I walked into Goodwill and look what I found. I was in a state of panic -- someone was already interested in it...I got close enough to see that the asking price was $25.00 (a tiny fraction of what my friend's cost). I (im)patiently stood there while these 2 gals discussed the merits of the *Shabby Chic* look and then finally stepped away. I tried to calm myself but I am afraid I was a tad abrupt as I SNATCHED the ticket off of it and RAN to check out. My mind was racing -- there is no towel harp but I am okay with that -- I'll have to strip that stupid paint and refinish it but I welcomed that project -- WHO puts those modern pulls and knobs on an antique? -- I'll HAVE to find some vintage or reproduction hardware and WHERE am I going to put it -- I KNOW, I'll put sewing stuff in it. Better idea, the big cupboard that is now in my bathroom can go into my NEW sewing room when daughter vacates it and I'll put this sweetie into my bathroom. By the time I paid for it and drove around back to pick it up, I had it ALL planned out.

The stripping and refinishing took me a bit longer than I had planned but I didn't want to rush -- good things do not come from rushing. I took my sweet time and by the time I had it refinished, I had found the PERFECT hardware for it. Besides, daughter wasn't planning to move until January....until her apartment became available EARLY -- she moved last weekend. My nest is officially EMPTY and my sewing room is starting to come together.


Isn't my washstand lovely? I am just loving having it in my bathroom. Stay tuned and sometime soon I'll show you around my NEW sewing room and that big old cupboard I was telling you about earlier.

Posting to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday!