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Monday, June 10, 2013

Vintage Chifferobe for Toy Storage

The Twenty Seven Dollar Vintage Chifferobe

Chic on the Cheap: How to Hide Those Toys




After months of sitting in my garage, my "vintage chifferobe" is finally finished, and better yet, it's making our family room feel even more cozy. This piece continues my stream of trying to find affordable furniture to fill our new home; you can read more about where I picked up this piece here. Or the quick version: I bought it at an Estate Sale for $27. Adding in the cost of paint and materials, it cost me around $50 total. Not bad for a piece that takes up a substantial space in one of the most lived-in rooms in the house.

Basically, I painted this piece using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in "Florence," using a couple coats of Annie Sloan clear soft wax after the paint application. I've said it before, but it's worth saying again, ASCP is my favorite paint, in essence, because of its RICHNESS: richness of color, of texture, and of variability. You can do so much with it. I invested in two of Annie Sloan's books (Quick & Easy Paint Transformations and Creating the French Look), and that's helped me get some ideas. But there are also classes out there. Near me, Daniella at Junktique Recycling offers them frequently. I'm planning to finally get to one this summer! 



Every time I've used ASCP in the past, I chose to distress my pieces at the end. For the chifferobe, I just wanted a clean, sharp finish, so all I did after painting was apply a couple coats of clear wax. I also chose to paint the outsides of the drawers and inside of the cabinet, too, because I plan to use this piece as toy storage, and I foresee a lot of unclosed drawers in the future... so why not give them a little love, too? I used Behr "Oregano Spice" for the green on the inside to save some money (in an ideal world, I'd have used ASCP in here, too). 

The chifferobe remains to be the perfect hiding spot for a little one, just like the women who sold it to me said they used to do with they were children.

 

The knobs were an unexpected part of the project, but I'm so happy with how they turned out! I had planned to simply buy some new hardware to "dress up" the piece. But after going to the store and choosing what I liked, I realized the hardware would cost me about $40! More than the original cost of the piece... I couldn't rationalize that purchase, so reluctantly, I put the knobs and drawer pulls back, and resolved to figure out a more creative solution, hence, the DIY Nautical Rope Hardware. I bought some rope for $5 and, using the rope and hot glue, I outfitted the original hardware (you can find that tutorial here).

I'm happy with how it turned out, but still wish I knew more about its original form and function. When was it made? How was it used? If you know any of that, please fill me in!


19 comments:

  1. I love the scale of this piece. It is so perfect for kids to reach everything and the finishes look awesome.

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    1. Thanks, PJ. You're totally right about it being the perfect height! I didn't even think about that until you pointed it out (probably because I haven't gotten around to loading it with toys yet). Thanks for the compliments, too!

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  2. Really nice. I love your choice of hardware, so unique. Thanks for sharing.
    http://www.creativeramblingsblog.com/

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    1. Thanks, Sarah! I'm happy with how it's working in the space :)

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  3. We have the same dresser! Ours was my father in law's when he was a kid (so that dates it to late 40's/early 50's) then my husband's, and then it's been in each of my kid's nurseries. We just redid ours a few months ago for our youngest: http://boxycolonial.blogspot.com/2012/11/nursery-progress-at-last.html

    Mine doesn't have the wheels on the bottom, and I don't think those knobs yours came with are original--ours had ridged, kind of art-deco-esque wooden handles. Oh, also, it has shelves in the wardrobe-y section.

    It must have been a pretty common piece; I saw another one on another blog awhile back, and--my favorite bit of trivia--I'm 99% sure the same dresser is in the movie Big--in the room the kid version of Tom Hanks shares with his little sister. It's painted pink there.

    I love coming across coincidences like that--I was glad excited to spot yours, and it looks great--I love the nautical handles!

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    1. I can't believe all of that! Thanks so much for the info! I LOVE yours so much! And now I think I need to watch BIG again!

      I had a hunch it was older than the 1970's (that's what they had on the estate sale sign). I thought the shape had a 50's-ish look to it. I'm psyched that it's that old!

      Yea, I figured someone added the wheels, but they are pretty convenient!

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  4. The lines and style of this piece are so pretty. I love your choice of colors for in and out. Great job on a wonderful find.

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    1. Thanks, Donna! The lines were definitely what drew me to the piece in the first place! Have a great night!

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  5. Oh I love this! What a cute burst of green hidden on the inside! The side cabinet looks like the perfect hiding spot!

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    1. Thanks, Katie! Even though it was sort of a pain to paint the inside, I'm glad I did it!

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  6. So cute! Love the colors you chose! Thank you for sharing at Give Me The Goods!

    Dimples & Pig Tales

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  7. oh my goodness, I love it! I an obsessed with the colors!

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    1. Thanks, Megan! I know, I have a slight obsession with turquoise and green! Really, it's my favorite color scheme for everything: decorating, clothes... I may need to widen my horizons. But I just love them so much! Have a great weekend!

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  8. This piece is absolutely amazing! I just love how chunky it is, but at the same time it does not feel chunky! I am new to your blog. Happy to be here!

    Smiles,
    Rachael
    The Joyful Thrifter

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  9. Gorgeous color! I love the knobs! I pinned it!

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  10. Very pretty color! I love the green on the sides of the drawers and inside too. Very smart.

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  11. Love the look of this! what a great find and awesome upgrade!

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    1. Hi Joelle, Thanks so much! It's def one of my favorite pieces!

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