Our Cabinet of Curiosities

I blog so often about cabinets of curiosity, it seems only fair to share my own...

Our petite cabinet of curiosities resides in the living room. The cabinet itself was a Craig's List find, purchased for $50 in Seattle, from a very kind woman helping her elderly friend downsize. I was so in love with the uncommon greige finish and elegant shape, I made Adam take an afternoon off to help me load it into a borrowed car, back down a perilous driveway, and inch it up our steep and narrow staircase. When we finally got it inside, I found a booklet full of neatly penned notes comparing bottles of scotch tucked into a drawer. Imagining that this might have been a little old lady's liquor cabinet still makes me giggle!

We've filled it with treasures, valuable for otherwise. Beautiful art books and vintage ephemera mingle  with found objects and natural oddities. Adam's collection of laboratory glassware stands next to 20 years worth of my beach-combing souvenirs. My alligator head grins from the second shelf, with a mouthful of foreign coins. The cabinet is home to items inherently beautiful and sentimental, like my Great-Grandmother's china teacup (or a vial of kitten teeth!)

I papered the back of the cabinet with pages from a tattered old Japanese & English dictionary: yet another layer of meaning for the curious observer.

How do you display your most prized belongings and mementos?

Match Made in... Sweden

Craig's List and I have a very healthy relationship, but I've got to come clean.  I've got a little thing on the side... with Ikea.

When I was tired of sleeping on a floored mattress, Ikea stepped up and sent me the Hemnes canopy bed.  When my life was a mess, Ikea picked up the pieces and neatly stashed them in a Helmer drawer unit.  Ikea, you've been there for me and my wallet.  

That being said, I think it's a little weird to get exclusive with Ikea.  Ikea has been around.  Everybody has Ikea.

So I've set some boundaries to avoid the cheap furniture catalogue look.  I try to avoid large or especially recognizable pieces, like the ubiquitous Expedit bookshelf or Lack side table.  When I do cheat and bring home a popular piece (a-hem, a-Hemnes...), I usually have a major Pretty Woman-esque make-over planned.  

It's a rarity for me to peruse the Ikea catalogue and see perfection instead of potential.  But here it is.  

Perfection = The Ikea Edland Series

Edland Dresser, Chest, and Dressing Table

The Edland Linen Cabinet

How do I love these?  Let me count the ways.  The slim, curving legs!  The smoky gray finish!  The beveled drawer fronts and mouldings!  The contrasting drop pulls!  The flat packages that will fit in my Ford Taurus!

And the best of the bunch?  The Edland Wardrobe.

Oh Edland!  We have so much in common- our love of French Provincial style, our obsession with keeping clothing neatly organized!  If you are anywhere near as handsome in person as you are online... I'd be a fool to not pledge $399 and my eternal love.

Mirror, Mirror...

In theory, mirrored furniture is a brilliant idea- it's very glamorous and it creates some wonderful lighting effects.

The Horchow "Claudia" Chest is a shining example.

Beautiful, yes- but let us reflect upon the upon the inevitable consequences.  Can you imagine frantically rushing around your house with windex on fingerprint patrol?  Hiring a white-gloved mirror maintenance staff?  Tragically succumbing to a nervous breakdown after seeing your own face reflected in a smudgy chest of drawers?!?  The horror.

So, you know, being totally realistic... it's just not a practical option for those of us who want to hold onto our sanity.

Here's how I'd capitalize on the best qualities of mirrored furniture AND dress up this weeks' fantastic Craig's List Find.

A little more personality, no?

To start with, I'd darken the wood to a deep espresso with a glossy finish.  (Truthfully, I'd probably paint it black, but I know there'd be an outcry from all of you wood purists out there.  No solid cherry was harmed in the making of this completely imaginary make-over!)  Of course, this is all a matter of taste- this look would work well with any wood tone or paint color.  Bright white... pale yellow... distressed pale green or gray...

Next, I'd have a handy friend with power tools remove the inner panels from each of the doors (my DIY experience does not cover sharp objects).  Replace them with fitted mirrors under pre-woven cane (painted or stained to match the wood).  This will add a lot of sparkle and textural interest on this big piece.  Plus, since the mirror is under the caning, it's unlikely to get smeary!

To finish it off, replace the dull knobs with some more attractive hardware.  I love the flash of gold on these ebonized pendant pulls from House of Antique Hardware.

I think the result is a piece of furniture that can become a visual focal point in any room.  I know that those of us with small budgets tend to buy small pieces- so there's something to be said for bulking up our anemic decor!  We also need to escape the mindset that a big piece is a burden.  An armoire is actually a very flexible item- it can hide ugly electronics, house clothing or linens, adapt and become an enclosed office... 

For some delicious armoire eye-candy, check out this post by the Material Girls.  I think we're definitely on the same page!