I love finding discarded and/or thrift store finds that only need a few minutes of love and attention to totally change them into something fresh! As I embarked on my camper redo (still progressing on that), I knew space was limited, as would be seating, so I was looking for anything that could serve double-duty.
I came across this little stool for less than $5 and knew it would be the perfect piece to create an extra seat, an extra surface for items, AND to bring in a bit of whimsy to the place. (Keep in mind I’m going for a mid-mod vibe).
I began by flipping it over and removing the screws that held the seat to the frame. Once the parts were separated, I took the base outside, gave it a very quick light once-over with sandpaper (it has a weird plastic coating), then freshened it up with gold spray paint.
You see my fancy paint booth there? If it’s a still day, I often spread a tarp on which I paint, but if there is any wind, I try to contain as much of the overspray as possible, just so I don’t end up with paint on the driveway, cars, or even on the plants. Obviously, neither is necessary, but simply my preference.
As the paint dried, I returned to the cushion. Placing my fun, fuzzy fabric face down on the table, I then placed the cushion–also face down–on the fabric. I pulled up one edge of fabric to get an idea how much excess I needed for stapling. In this case it was about 3″ so I cut a rough shape about 3″ beyond all edges of the cushion.
To attach the fabric, start by placing one staple through the fabric into the wooden cushion base. Next, pull the fabric taut directly opposite that first staple and place another. Then complete the process for the two sides. Once you have four cardinal points adhered with staples, you’ll focus on the area between two of these stapled points. Place a staple in the center of two of the cardinal points (work within one area at a time), and then, alternating between the fabric on the right then the fabric on the left, pull the fabric up, work in the excess and place a staple. You want to keep your fabric taut, but don’t pull so hard that it becomes crooked or you steal the excess from the opposite side and leave nothing with which to work.
Rotate the cushion 180 degrees and do the same for the opposite side. Continue until you have all the fabric stapled securely. Once you’ve finished, feel free to cut off the excess.
At this point, my base has dried and is ready to reattach. I reversed the process…place the frame upside down onto the cushion base, and reinstall the screws.
Viola! A cute little stool, side table, (but not suitable as a lamp table), fluffy butt piece for the camper!
I had a good friend who was the epitome of “one day” when it came to projects. I would often visit her and upon cutting through the garage she would tell me about the collection of stuff in there and how she was “one day” going to do this or that with it, or “one day” her son would come get it.
Finally, after about two years’ time, during one of these excursions through the garage she pointed to a little dresser/night stand and asked if I wanted it. Well, of course I did! We loaded it up and I took it home. I put it where I knew it belonged, created a little vignette, and there it sat for a few days before inspiration hit me.
It had good lines, was the right size, and I’ve been longing for one of those really cool old mapmaker’s or printer’s cabinets–a cartography cabinet–and wondered if it was possible. I looked on Pinterest and came across this for inspiration. I could see it, my mapmaker’s cabinet at last! Now all I needed was a plan.
I love doing projects with Mike, but sometimes I want to do them on my own, or at least mostly on my own…it’s primarily a pride thing, but sometimes it’s also because Mike will either discourage doing it or point out flaws (in my plans and often in my techniques), which is quite frustrating. I started formulating my plan, without sharing with him. Sometimes if I delve in he knows there is no turning back, so he resigns himself to going forward. Me? Sneaky? A little.
I knew I wanted to face the drawers and needed thin wood for this. I started looking at the hardware stores for various options. Balsa wood was too thin, craft-wood planks were too pricey, and while Mike can rip lumber into thin strips, I cannot and did not want to involve him, yet.
Finally, I came across “lath boards” which are used to do old fashioned plaster walls. They were just the right size (about 3/8″ thick and 1.5″ wide) and only $.33 each. Time to get the cabinet prepped!
I knew I wanted a more streamlined/industrial look and the scrolled bottom edge had to come off, as well as the original top with its routered edge. I measured for the top and made a few marks where to cut off the scroll, then took my little cabinet to the garage. Of course, once I entered the garage zone, the project was no longer mine alone. I should know this by now. However, I am always grateful for the help, especially when it comes to saws!
Mike pretty much took over for a while. (I don’t remember why we added these boards–maybe I was just marking wheel placement.) He cut off the bottom edge, then cut blocks for the wheels and screwed them in place.
The paint wasn’t adhered very well to the dresser, so a bit of scraping and some sanding got it off quite quickly.
After it was prepped, I stained the dresser with a mix of stains designed to give it an aged look and painted the drawer fronts black. While everything was drying, I cut the lath boards to length (just to the edges of the drawers or they wouldn’t close properly) and figured out the spacing of the lath boards on the drawers. The top drawer spacing worked out perfectly with just lath boards, but the lower two are slightly larger and for those I used craft wood that was the same thickness as the lath boards. I kept the spacing between all the boards the same and by painting the drawer faces black it creates a shadow and illusion of depth behind the lath boards and it also makes the larger boards even less noticeable.
Once I had my spacing figured out with a handful of change (hey, whatever works!) and lath boards taped in place to eliminate slippage, I marked the location of each knob and tag holder and drilled pilot holes for the knobs. Once I had the pilot holes drilled, I removed the tape and each board. Working from the top down, I flipped each board over, marking it as No. 1, No. 2, etc. so when I was ready to reassemble them, I knew everything would line up. (Unfortunately, sometimes I get so engrossed in a project I forget to snap photos, and I missed photographing several steps).
With my lath boards predrilled and marked, I began gluing the boards onto the drawer faces. I did refer to my photos as I went so I knew what coins to use in my spacing–I told you it was professional!
While waiting for the glue to dry, I painted the little wooden knobs–which are actually tiny wooden candle cups I bought at Hobby Lobby. I also painted the wheels black. Once the glue dried, I then removed the tape and stained the lath boards. It ended up taking two coats on the cabinet, but three on the lath boards.
I had marked the spacing of the knobs with a pilot hole, but the tag holders only with pencil. Once I stained the drawer fronts I had to go back and remark the location for the tag holders. A little oversight.
So exciting to see it turning into my vision! I opted to use Microsoft Word to create a table and type out the numbers to use in the tag holders. It took a couple attempts to get the size right, but it was cheap and quick and I can change out the tags any time. Here is the finished piece in all her glory…
This is one of the many pieces in our home that has a story, but this one is extra special to me. My friend who gifted me this piece passed away suddenly and I miss her terribly. However, not one single day goes by that I do not think of her with the fondest of memories. I pass this little piece many, many times every day and not only do I love it for its appearance, but because it’s symbolic of how things–and friendships–can take on another form, yet still endure.
This little cabinet certainly brings me joy!
If you have any questions on this, or any of our projects, be sure to send us an email or comment. We’re always willing to help if we can.
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