Everyone knows you can take a beat-up piece of furniture and paint or refinish it to make it into something new, but what do you do with an old piece of furniture that is no longer necessary?

Card Catalog

Even though computers have completely eliminated the need for the Dewey Decimal System, I bought this old card catalog a while back. I have always wanted one of these. It’s not that I need to keep track of a ton books in my house. I just think they’re beautiful. And maybe I’m a little nostalgic for the days when I worked the front desk at my high school’s library.

Determined not to let this relic of a time gone by end up in a trash heap, I gave it a new purpose: a home for art supplies. It was perfect. All those little drawers were just the right size for paintbrushes, pens, pencils, small tubes and sewing supplies. I thought about labeling each drawer with the contents, but then I decided to leave the old calligraphy. Someone spent a lot of time carefully writing those beautiful letters. When I forget which drawer something is in it turns into a fun game of memory.

Sewing Table

When I found this little table I thought it would make a perfect little nightstand until I couldn’t get the top drawer open.

The salesperson saw me struggling and explained the table was a sewing table, so the top drawer swings around; it doesn’t pull out like a regular drawer. It has little pegs for spools of thread, bobbins and thimbles. I realize many people still sew for both fun and practical reasons, but I imagined this table would be in some sitting room of yesteryear so a woman could easily work on a sewing project in the evening when all the house work was done. It wasn’t really a modern woman’s piece of furniture. Plus, I already had a place for my sewing supplies.

Since it really was the perfect size for a nightstand, I decided I would use the top drawer for jewelry. It was especially good for those late nights after an event when you just want to quickly get to bed and not have to fuss about putting things in their proper places.

The bottom drawer functions like a regular drawer, so that’s where I put books I like to read before I go to sleep.

I always like to have a glass of water by the bed, and even though the top of the table is a little banged up, I didn’t want the condensation from the glass to make a mark. I used this small, vintage tray as a giant coaster. It’s too small to actually use for serving, and I love the handmade bluebird needlepoint.

If you love a piece of vintage furniture that has an outdated function, that’s no reason to discount it. Recycling old pieces makes a home or office interesting and beautiful. Just be creative, and you will find the perfect, modern solution.

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