Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Mammoth Move

I mentioned a few weeks ago about an old dresser that I had bought. I'd wanted one for our kitchen for a while now, as the cupboard I wanted to replace it with was too large - It blocked the old shop's door a little and wasn't of the right style for the room.
So here's my dresser in the raw. Its a VERY rustic country piece and had been dipped and stripped, so was very dry...

I intended to paint it, as I think this was how it would have been originally, which would have covered a multitude of its sins!

To all the lovers of wood out there I apologise! I'm not anti-wood myself and have lots of it around our home, particularly in our kitchen...
The worktops are made from old rustic floorboards...
The old French towel rail sits happily next to a stripped 1930's door...

(More doors throughout our home)

And stained wood shelves are another practical choice in our kitchen. (Pantry door with chicken wire and fabric window)
So anyway...I'd decided the dresser would be better painted and went for a clotted cream emulsion...The stripped wood soaked it up immediately and covered it well...
Love this plank on the back board, which shows it was made from an old door, complete with key hole!
Thankfully the sunny weather made the painting task less of a chore...

I had intended to wax the surface of the paint to protect it, but after a few strokes, I realised that it was going to end up looking like the colour of the bare wood that it started with! So I stopped and painted back over it!
This is the cupboard that needed to move...so then the really hard work began...
I planned to put it in our back room where the French armoire stood! So this needed to move!

This would be useful for our main living room, so it had to be emptied of its contents first..which just happened to be of the heaviest kind! - Our (well, mostly mine! ;-)) - book collection.

Other cupboards had to be emptied too, to make way for the big move...I have such a patient hubby!

In order for a new cupboard to arrive in our home, one had to go...
And it was this one which I bought last year. Our ceilings are over 8ft tall and I always felt this little cupboard was too small...even with all of those French covered boxes on top!

So this one is now for sale in my shop!
The French armoire was going to fit best in the corner next to our fireplace...
So the wall cupboard had to be taken off the wall and moved...

It was placed in the other corner where the other cupboard that is now in my shop used to be...are you still with me??!! ;-))

Armoire settled in nicely...
Kitchen cupboard now takes up less space where the armoire used to be...
So with the mammoth move complete, the fun part could begin!

Faffing and arranging!
The dresser now houses some of our red and white china which we use every day (as well as hiding a few essentials in the drawers and cupboards beneath.)
A few knocks and dings to the emulsion paintwork will add character in my view, so I won't worry about that.
The dresser is less dominant in the room, which makes it more open and easy to use.

(The other cupboard in the kitchen houses my more vivid red collections of Midwinter china.)

Moving on...the books were arranged back in the armoire...

And the little glazed cupboard opposite was given some of my antique treasures.
*
The old kitchen cupboard now houses my vintage hat collection, (with hat stands) which I had put away for a while, so its nice to ring the changes...not that I shall be changing things again for a long while...Hubby will be pleased to hear!
I'll show more of my hats another time, as taking photos of them all takes a lot of time... something I don't have so much of these days...
At least a tidier home for everything means slightly less work.

And as we'd had the builders in making a lot of dust and mess upstairs, I'd had to empty my cupboards up there too!
The shoe collection is now back in its wall cupboard...
And another glazed cabinet down one side was given a few of my other vintagey bits and bobs...
I can't seem to get a decent shot of this at the moment (this is my favourite cupboard too) - So this will be for another day as well.
Hope you enjoyed seeing the move around...

My parents are arriving on Friday, so I need to get on with some housework now, before I'm back at work again tomorrow.
Enjoy the rest of your week,
Niki x
Update:
A message to 'Tabbyroo' - thank you for your comment - No fitted cupboards for us in our kitchen! I'm a vintage girl through and through - I've posted pics of our kitchen many times, but most recently here.
Niki x

21 comments:

  1. You don't do things by halves do you! I'm exhausted just reading your post. I love your rooms and colour schemes x

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  2. What can I say, each piece is more beautiful than the last! I am a huge fan of old wood and my son would have fits hearing me say this but sometimes a lovely coat of paint is just the thing. I am planning on painting a few small pieces myself and painting rose or pansies on top of the paint afterwords.
    With all the lovely things you have to display on it I am sure it will look perfect however you decide to finish it.
    Tina xo

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  3. Was für schöne Fotos... ich liebe diesen Stil. Aber die Schuhsammlung gefällt mir besonders gut.... wunderschön arrangiert. Ein hübsches Zuhause haben Sie.

    Liebe Grüße PuNo/Monika

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  4. Niki I don't know where you get your energy from. I wish you could bottle some and send it to me along with some of your artistic talent. Love all your cupboards and their beautiful contents, but your new kitchen dresser is my favourite.

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  5. Niki, I don't know where you get your energy from. I wish you could bottle it and send some to me along with some of your artistic talent. Your home is beautiful especially your kitchen - your new dresser looks lovely - i'm a big fan of painted pieces although I like to rub them back with sandpaper to make them look aged and knocked about.

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  6. Ilove all of the cupboards, but those bright blue shoes, now they are amazing!
    Tracey

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  7. Niki, you have the most beautiful cupboards!! And you have such a talent for decorating them in the most charming way with all your lovely vintage bits! I always love seeing the glimpses into your fabulous home!!!
    Michelle

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  8. Beautiful cupboards and even more beautiful collections. I would love to see more photos of your kitchen,wondered if you had 'modern kitchen units as well.:)

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  9. Anonymous4:25 pm

    Oh Niki what joy!

    I for one am so happy to back inside your scrummy home and it looks gorgeous,love the changes and the dresser cream and red oh its perfect!
    My eyes are popping out at the two little flowered shades with creamy ruched ribbon around the edge in the last cupboard,can't wait to see more of this one!
    Love Kristina x

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  10. What a pretty home you have. I love wood it is very tactile, and it is in my blood! My maternal grandfather was a veneerer and father is a carpenter, so I absolutely love the stuff from little wooden beads to lovely big cupboards like your beautiful furniture.
    Julie xxxxx

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  11. I feel quite exhausted reading your blog!What a wonderful collection of such interesting things.People open their gardens ,I think you should open your house.It would be fascinating to wander round and look at everything.I am so envious.

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  12. Anonymous6:03 pm

    Thank you for the birthday wishes Niki! Wow, your cupboard move did prove to be big job but it looks great so well done to you and the patient hubby!

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  13. Hi Niki!
    Watching these images bring me joy and "nostalgia" of England! I often look at your book and like I'm there...
    A dear greeting, Maria.

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  14. Thanks for your comments ladies!
    To 'Tabbyroo' - No, we don't have any fitted units in our kitchen, they're all freestanding. More photos of our kitchen can be seem here: http://nostalgiaatthestonehouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/correction.html

    Niki

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  15. Phew! It all looks wonderful. Love how where the old lock was shows on the back of the dresser.

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  16. Phew! Put the kettle on, I need a mug(china) of tea after reading about that epic! It does look good with a lick of paint, I like lots of wood too but, sometimes a bit of paint lifts the ordinary into the extraordinary doesn't it?

    Sandie xx

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  17. Please can I come and move into one of your cupboards...preferably the millinery one? I'll sit very still and be very quiet? Those pictures are fabulous Niki...I love the cupboard you have in your shop..but where to put it!

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  18. Absolutely wonderful, I love your kitchen, just my kind of thing,I can't wait to get in my loft and find the tea sets that I have stored up there, I have one in mind that will look fab on my dresser.

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  19. Hi Niki
    What a task! It all worked out well though. I love your choice of furniture, beautiful pieces throughout the house. The cream dresser looks lovely with the red & white china.
    Take care
    Isabelle x

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  20. Anonymous10:48 am

    Such gorgeous pieces, but I bet so heavy to move! They all look gorgeous in their new homes though.

    Shirl x

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  21. You have so many beautiful things I love the colour you chose for the dresser too.I am one of those people who love wood and find it hard to paint over but I am seeing so many nice painted things lately I will have to get over my phobia.SOON

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Thank you for finding the time to visit me...
Niki xx