Well blow me down with a feather Beach Cottage friends, I did not expect to be coming here this fine Monday with a vintage kitchen unit / dresser that blew my mind at the weekend…
Ahem, yes, I was coming here with the other piece of pre-loved but not as shabby as this, furniture that I acquired over the last week and whose rear-end I have been stroking quite abundantly – the armoire that is residing in my bedroom right now…errrrm actually let us not talk of any kinda stroking, I am now owing some serious favours to certain people around here and I can assure you there have been eyebrows raised to tops of (balding) heads muchly about my antics this past week. I will deal with all of that later.
For now though, in this place where all is tinted with a special bit of hand-mixed rose, we will all get up, join hands and dance around the Maypole in celebration of a unique Beach Cottage Vintage Treasure Hunting Score.
Ladies, I dance and squealed for England on this one…
I didn’t expect to find her though..on Saturday we had lots going on in Beach Cottage Land and lots to do…we started off with little Mr Beach Cottage at the pool, went to an appointment and then went to vote…
And after all that I had scheduled in a bit of Beach Cottage Vintage Treasure Hunting, there, for sure, has not been enough of that around here lately and being a beautiful day we grabbed coffee and headed out to see what we could find…stopped at a few garage sales and op-shops…
I found some great things, I LOVE it when it happens like that…
…funny how it goes too, sometimes I walk away with not a single thing and wonder quite why I wasted my time…other times I have about my person shed loads of vintage treasure for our old cottage…this time some vintage mixing bowls, old plates (cough cough now I do not in any shape or form need any more of those), some old crochet and linen, a lovely platter and some vintage cutlery and baking things..
Anyway, I was perusing the furniture (which incidentally is always quite expensive in my opinion at this place)…when I stopped dead in my tracks upon spying this old girl looking very worse for the wear, and reminding me of what I felt and looked like on Monday after the self-inflicted-never-to-be-repeated Sunday shenanigans with spit-roasted pork and too much Pimms..
Mrs Beach Cottage : Oh my God! Mr BC look at this! I love it!
Mr Beach Cottage : Where will we put that!!!! eyebrows
Mrs Beach Cottage : What!? Who cares!!!!!!!!! Like anywhere!
Mr Beach Cottage : I really don’t think we can fit it in. eyebrows
Mrs Beach Cottage : Of course we can!
I turned over the ticket, thinking that would make the decision and to my utter delight and blooming total surprise forty buckeroos!!
Mrs Beach Cottage : OMG!!!!!! It’s fooooooooooooooorty dollars!
Mr Beach Cottage : Oh no. eyebrows
Mrs Beach Cottage : Oh yes, yes, yes Mr Beach Cottage I LOVEEEEEE it. So excited! I love you more than all the Peronis in the world, yes we are so getting it!
And with that, along came the furniture man, he told us a bit about it how it had been attempted to be restored but they had given up and donated it…on and on he went telling us how it would walk out the door very quickly and giving me a lovely lesson on how to restore it…. there he is above demonstrating how to scrub it with wire wool
…little did he know I was sold the second I saw it and already planning how to get it home and where to put it when I saw the price..
Once we had established she was to be part of the Beach Cottage Crew there was much convo about getting her either onto the roof of our car or the hiring of a ute…they decided in their wisdom that the roof of the car would be fine…
Mr Beach Cottage makes not a bad removalist if you ever are in need…
A couple of the guys helped us outside with it…there was much talk about ropes and knots and being secure…
While they did all that boys’ stuff, I supervised and took pictures of my shoes…
Here she is in our old cottage…you can see she is in a serious state (actually you can’t see it but she is filled with spider’s webs and dust and dirt)…not been loved for a while and feeling it…
The camera picked her up differently to how she is in real life, I can’t quite explain it, but I tried to capture her feelings…here’s her door against some white to show you what I mean….
And lookie at the leadlight…
I die
and just drink in the hardware….
the old ventilation at the back…
I know not what I will be doing with her yet…there has been much deliberation of that in this old cottage…like that old Hungarian trunk I scored at a garage sale I think she may well be staying like this, just hoovered out, cleaned up and given a good dose of Dettol in her life…but I think she may be the piece to (finally) replace the IKEA Expedit in the Dining Room that I have been trying to lose for years…
..imagining her filled with Beach Cottage white coastal things, perhaps the odd nautical stripe…
..but then again did anyone say Beach Cottage White
(I’ve shared lots of times how to paint old vintage furniture, here’s a guide to how I do it here)
Whaddya think?
Now ladies (and one man in the Netherlands) I must be off.
Do not even think about mentioning the amount of favours I have to do (especially if you are the one man in the Netherlands)…we’ll leave that as best unsaid..
I hope you like the newest addition to our tatty old cottage…there is one word and one word only from me… stoked
See you next time
Sarah
p.s. very pretty Spring blooms over in Beach Cottage Flowers today xo
Oh my goodness! I missed this back when you posted it! Am I in love or what? That is beyond perfect for a spot in my house. Gosh I’m just amazed at how cool that piece is. Good job getting it for so cheap. I love it jus as it is. Yes, I drank in the hardware and I could gladly drink some more!
Liz
Enjoyed reading this so much. Loved the story and the pictures and what a find!!!! So exciting when something like this happens. Would love to know what you ended up doing with it…..
Greetings from Sea-Breeze Cottage Hastings on the South Coast of England! I have just found your blog and I LOVE IT and am enjoying it so much!! Isn’t she just fabulous?! What a find … lucky you! I am delighted that she will be loved from now on, whatever you do with her. For now I would give her a through ‘Detoled’ spit and polish, after maybe a little wipe over with some lavender oil, to let her know she is loved … then I would let her glow in her magnificence and listen to her, and wait to hear what she wanted! If that small cubbyhole has lost its leaded window then I might use a small wire mesh with small white shells on it. Oh dear, I am getting carried away, I must remember that she is not mine. Love her!
Hi Sarah
I laughed at your description of conversations about how to get it home – ropes, knots, making it secure etc. I’ve been involved in a few of those conversations in my time – blokes standing around telling me I’m going not going to fit it in the car and looking at me like I’m deluded and/or crazy. All I can say is where there’s a hatch there’s a way and I’ve transported many a treasure home safely despite the contrary opinions. Gotta have faith.
Love your blog, haven’t been by much lately as 2012 seemed to pass in a blur but will definitely stop by more often.
Best wishes, Danielle
Love it, love it, love it! Now I’ll be looking for one like it! Can’t wait to go back to Nebraska to get our enclosed car trailer with all our stuff, especially my Hoosier cabinet…..
Just saw this! Wondering if you’ve done a following up with how “she” turned out??
Oh Sarah; you have Noo idea! I find and sell vintage treasures. To say your Mr. Beach Cottage could possibly get a teensy bit emotionally drained at dragging an occasional (heavy) piece of furniture to the top of the car and securing it just right for the ride home would be a grand day off for my Mr. Smith!!!! He shoves and carts and carries (for me, his lovely), nearly seven days a week:) oh my I love what I do…this week I scored and Mr. Smith carted a pie safe, primitive, a little wobbly, (which of course he could fix),kind of warped on the top, adding invaluable charm and stories, and the two attached antique iron gates used as a kind of set of doors. I saw a vision; the cupboard turned into a potting shed beauty, the iron doo dads are removed and sold separately, i go and find more:); he sees he is going to have to cart this out of a walk out basement, through a huge lake of melted Colorado snow just to get to the car. Now, this being my passion, I must say my dear Mr. Smith may have to do this several times each week. Can you imagine! The rest of my recent finds I could cart myself; oh smile! One fabulous huge heavy oval metal tray painted yellow w/roses and old green paint peeking itself through, one green enamel pitcher one teensy birdcage from France, a handwoven linen nightgown from there also, some enamel bowls for a gardener’s delight, an oh so cute arm chair with fabric seat to be re-done, a beauty of a dresser with the prettiest spindly legs,(well i must credit Mr. Smith with getting that home), shutters a tad bit peely door, a pair of white trellises, a large picture, an old tablecloth I made into two green checked towels, a basket covered wine bottle, a lovely green basket, an the find of the week???? I found my fourth antique, most awesome, dress form. I love this old tattered at the edges girl. She takes up her rightful place in my antique stall as we speak. All this to say, I loved your post, your cupboard and mostly your vision to see a tattered cupboard could become a grand addition to your little Beach Cottage. You go girl!