I'll introduce you to them first and I'll tell the story afterwards!
First in my new batch of rescued furniture is this 1950s kidney bean shaped dressing table:
Next, we've got this 1930s well-loved chest of drawers:
Followed by this little 1950s kitchen chair which is authentically 'Shabby Chic'!!
So now for their story and how they became mine...
One sunny April morning, I was on the train, on my way to work in Aberdeen for the day. It was just a few days before I had to pitch my business idea for Ziggy Sawdust to the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust so I took the oppertunity to use my travel time to scribble down all my ideas for the pitch and prepare myself for any questions that I might get asked.
The man across from me was curious about what I was writing and he asked me if I was writing a story... I told him that yes, I was writing a story of sorts... a story about how I came up with my business idea and how I hope it's story will continue.
We got chatting all about Ziggy Sawdust, about photography, about family, about art-deco architecture...! We chatted the whole way up to Aberdeen!
The man's name was David and he told me about his sister Patricia, who was due to get her bedroom re-decorated and had a few pieces of furniture that she wanted to get rid off... and it turns out she lives just around the corner from me! He told me how the pieces of furniture had sentimental value and had been passed down from relatives, but Patricia just didn't have the room for them anymore... David was very interested in my ideas for Ziggy Sawdust so he took down my name and number and promised that he would pass on my details to his sister.
A few weeks later my telephone rang and it was Patricia! We both had a laugh at how surreal the situation was... I met her brother on a train and now she might be giving me some furniture! I was delighted to hear from her, the pieces of furniture sounded really lovely.
I went along to Patricia's house a few days later to take a look at the furniture and David happened to be visiting, so he was there too. It was lovely to see him again and I was so grateful that he organised the whole thing. It's amazing where a chat on a train can lead!!
The kidney bean dresser belonged to David and Patricia's mother and it has lots of nostalgia attached to it.
At the moment is has got a frilly curtain around it and a glass top:
It is a little dated but it has got lots of potential!
I am looking forward to playing with colour and fabric to help bring this piece up to date...
I love how much history this piece has... I really want to do Patricia proud with it's make-over!
She was also sad to see her chest of drawers go... Their deep drawers are a perfect size and it has been a fixture in her home for many years.
I love them, but sadly the are not in a resellable condition...
The back panel is missing, top surface is quite badly chipped, the drawers are pretty stiff and one of it's feet fell of in transit! It is definitely not a hopeless case (it's been around for 80 years after all!!) but it the restoration would be a huge project in its self and I would worry that it wouldn't last for years to come.
So, I have instead decided that I will work with the drawers individually. They have lots of character... I love their little lock details!
You may be wondering what on earth I am going to do with loose drawers (...no pun intended!!) but just trust me, I'm a furniture doctor! They will not be drawers once I am finished with them... they will be pieces of furniture in their own right!
I've already started to have a play with them and have popped in some Anthropologie drawer handles to get a feel for how they can be spruced up...
I absolutely love Anthropologie drawer handles and have a bag full of them (30 to be exact!)...
Only the best for Ziggy Sawdust!!
And my ideas for this little chair? It almost looks as though it has been made to look aged and well loved... but it really has been well loved for years and years! I've got a few ideas up my sleeve to transform this into a lovely chair to accompany the dresser.
I still can't believe that these all ended up in my hands after speaking to a friendly gentleman on a train. I am still in touch with Patricia and she is such a lovely lady- she even came along to the Funk Fair to see my stall! It's amazing where a little conversation can lead... you never know whats around the corner!
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