Card catalog comes back to life.

By Leslie Hill Dingess, Owner at Serendipity , the Art of Happy Discoveries in West Jefferson, OH.

Winning Category

I sent my husband and son to pick this up on the way to the hospital on the night my first (and only thus far) granddaughter was born. When I first saw it, I thought what in the world did I just buy? This unloved and forgotten card catalog looked pitiful and was missing several drawers.  Someone had put horrible knobs that didn't fit well and left it in a disgraceful state of being. When I came down from my new nana status and looked at it from a creative perspective, I got my vision. This was actually one of my first repurposing projects. Instead of refabricating drawers, we removed an entire section and lined with wood to create a nook to be used for anything from liquor bottles to books to vases or whatever.  The frame was sanded and given some love with Java Gel Stain by General Finishes. The drawers were sanded, painted and slightly distressed with colors from Annie Sloan, Fusion and General Finishes. New hardware was added and the bottom front section was given a raised stencil using wood icing and paint and glaze.  All topped with General Finishes High Performance Top Coat. My only regret was not getting better pictures as I think of her often. She graced my new shop for several months as her new owner had put her on lay-a-way.. she had many admirers during her stay, as a unique and show stopping piece. 

Products Used

  • Java gel stain
  • Lamp Black milk paint
  • High performance top coat
  • Van Dyke Brown glaze

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