How long would you wait for the right piece of furniture? My tolerance is extreme and not rooted in uncertainty but rather an inability to settle. Although I'm a Libra (Capricorn sun & moon), indecisiveness is not one of my primary traits; when I know something's right, I know.
Over two years ago, I decided I needed to make a change to our laundry room/first-floor bathroom. The cabinets above the washer and dryer were too narrow and set back, making them nearly impossible to access and equally challenging to store items within them. Also, they didn't fully close, which drove me insane.
(before)
Our first floor has two closets: one tiny coat closet (24" x 24" x 80") and a small pantry closet (30" x 16" x 80"). I knew this wall could work better for us; frankly, it had to! I set out, determined to find an antique cabinet that would fit the space and provide much-needed additional storage. What transpired was an epically long hunt that nearly ended in an IKEA hack. I mainly searched Live Auctioneers and Facebook Marketplace with the search terms "antique cabinet," "hutch," and "library cabinet."
After being outbid on yet another cabinet at auction, I was vent-texting with my mom, and quite literally, 45 minutes later, she sent me the listing for THE perfect cabinet. The piece was an hour away and listed for $250. I jumped on it and arranged for one of my local shippers to pick it up.
(picture from Facebook Marketplace)
I enlisted the help of my mom and dad to make the cabinet look like it had always been part of the house. The width was nearly perfect, but it was short by about 8". Adding a long, sneaky drawer at the bottom and trim at the top made the cabinet look custom. My dad helped with the carpentry while my mom stained and faux-painted the additional details we needed to make it work.
To dress up the cabinet, I went to my favorite source for hardware, HRL Brass. The quality and design of their hardware is incredible, and I cannot recommend them enough. I used the 8.5" rectangle pulls and the Crane Creek knobs in polished unlacquered brass.
I decided to add a curtain to conceal the many items the cabinet contains: toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, cleaning solutions, rags, lint rollers, packing tape, the toolbox, an iron, art supplies, light bulbs, fasteners, batteries, candles, baby items, bottles, and breast pump accessories…the list goes on!
I found the fabric from a shop on Etsy. The quality is outstanding. 10/10 recommend.
To attach the curtains, I used this rod set. However, I found that the weight of the fabric made them droop in the center, so I added some upholstery tacks along the rod to keep the curtain from sagging.
Once the cabinet was installed, I hung one of my favorite wallpapers. I've wanted to use this paper in my home for years, and this was the perfect spot.
Before installing the cabinet, I changed the light fixture over the medicine cabinet. I ordered this fixture from Etsy, but mismeasured, and when the light was installed, I realized I couldn't open the medicine cabinet. Whoops! Luckily, I was able to rotate the fixture and found a new shade on eBay that I love. We also removed the outdated utility light and replaced it with a pendant from Soho Home. Unfortunately, they no longer sell it (similar here).
I am so happy I was patient and waited for the perfect piece to come along. The cabinet turned out better than I expected and provides tons of practical storage. As many of you know, our house isn't old. It was built in 1980 by someone who cared to make it look like it was from a different era. I aim to continue adding elements that make you question when the house was built, and the cabinet does just that; it was well worth the wait.
Sources:
Knobs // Bin Pulls // Towel Bar // Curtain Rod // Curtain Fabric // Wallpaper - Linen/Cream // Wainscotting Paint Color // Door Color // Sink // Faucet (similar) // Vanity Light // Branch Basics Coupon Code - $10 OFF