Superstar Furniture.

While I try to keep breathing through the stressful and unknown process of collecting one's security deposit from a man who is notoriously difficult to deal with, I thought I'd share my dining room armoire.

We bought this piece of furniture about 10 years ago at an antiques shop up the street from our first house. It was in the back and deeply discounted to $150. It had no shelving inside and without the inner workings, it was a little rickety.

But Logan put shelves inside, he's good at things like that. For example, since we moved in we've had to tell our guests that the bathroom door doesn't latch, so just put the little kid's step stool in front of the door so no one walks in on you. Oh quirky 1920's houses. I can't say I missed you but here we are! Anyway, Logan took the handle apart and made it work without a step stool.

The shelves in the armoire made it sturdy and it became a replacement for my dresser at the old house. Maybe you remember?

It held my (very small) wardrobe and also some office supplies when Logan's computer was kept in our room. (My wardrobe is so small, I basically have to go naked for half the week. Thankfully I work at home.)

Then we moved to the other house, (sniff sniff) and we used the armoire to store the kids crap in the family room.

And now, it's in the dining room doing duty as overflow storage for the kitchen. The kitchen in this house is very functional but is seriously lacking cupboard space. I mean, I think there are few cabinets than we had at our first house. This is fine since I don't like to buy a lot of food at one time, I have an allergy to unloading groceries. But after having a kitchen with empty cabinets, we needed some extra space.

And here's the inside!

Is it weird that this whole thing makes me feel slightly aroused?

Clearly the best money we've spent on furniture in our marriage.

Comments

[dewshane]

It's a beautiful piece. Function + beauty = hot. It's not so weird to be aroused.

[Patti]

Love it!

[Amanda]

It's a lovely piece of furniture. Multi-functional to boot! I wish we had better luck finding inexpensive but awesome furniture.

[Jenn Bo]

So lovely. I love that it fits in so many settings.

[Erika]

That's a nice armoire!
And would you please, pretty please, come to my 1920s bungalow w/ a lack of natural lighting and pick paints for us? Because I'm color-impaired, and your houses always look so warm.

You'd just have to come to Madison (the city, not your daughter), that's all.

[jane]

watch out, your landlord may make you put the bathroom door handle back in its unlatchable state when you leave!

[aimee]

Very jealous. (And aroused.)

[windylou]

I love it that you re-purpose furniture like that! Antique shop finds are my favorite.

[T]

That is sexy.

[die Frau]

LOVE IT. We have some great old furniture from DH's grandmother that we love, but nothing as lovely as your armoire. We have lovely inherited furniture but no awesome finds. But I'll take what I can get....

[stacy]

In our 1930's era house, I got skinny wire racks that one might put inside a closet door and hung then on the wall going down the stairs to the basement. Voila ! A pantry !

[quyen]

$150 for that gorgeous piece? what a bargain. now that IS sexy.

[mythoughtsonthat]

Definitely something to be admired....

[Barb]

It's gorgeous. And you have awesome organizational skills, to match Logan's handyman skills. What a great couple you make.

[JennyM]

Arrrrgh. That is *exactly* the piece that I've been looking for for two years. So by this time I'm convinced there's only one in the world, and now I know who has it.

Awesome, and even awesomer that it was such a bargain because you saw through the rickety-ness!

[Hayley]

So my hubby will stop by your blog every once in awhile... like he did today. He called me from work and said, "You know that blog you like? Well she has an old armoire hutch-thing and it's cool and she's not getting rid of it, so we need to keep the couches because it's the same situation."

And I'm all, "Um, that armoire/cupboard/hutch is classic and multi-functional. Your ex-wife picked out the plaid couches in 1995. NOT THE SAME THING."

[Penny]

I love it. We just bought something similar to make more pantry space. It does make you feel good!

[Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com]

I love that it fits in so many places! Quality furniture is the best!

[Jess]

I had the same problem with a landlord last May. Except that he didn't pay his mortgage with my rent, and his house got foreclosed on. And we had to move out with less than thirty days notice. And then, when we didn't pay the last month's rent (since he no longer owned the house and all, and we needed the money for a sec dep for a new place), he decided to take us to court. And sue us for the month's rent.

And won.

So not only did I not get my security deposit back, but I also had the unexpected pleasure of financing his family vacation to Cuba.

So yeah. I TOTALLY understand the landlord frustration.

[Dana]

Beautiful armoire. I'm very jealous.

[e]

Very cute - love the shelving-within-shelving. And I'm reaching for the xanax now as I deal with two house closings and all they entail only four days apart in different states. Good luck with your landlord b.s. You will prevail.

[Amber]

Very nice!

I wish my husband could put shelves in things. I mean, he can, but I'm always wary of asking him to put things together. Because when he does, he usually swears, and then I have to re-explain to the kids that we don't use the s-word even though Daddy is currently shouting it from the dining room.

[Krys]

Oh, I'm so jealous of your armoire! I love peeking inside! Does that make me a voyeaur?

And btw, Hayley? We're married 10 years this July and I'm *STILL* trying to get rid of the sofas he bought when he and his ex-wife split up... They're orange floral velour, with heavy wood trim and heavier wooden end tables - they actually won the "Ugliest Sofa Contest" on line! (Not *his*, but the same sofas! I'd never admit it in public if it had been his that won!)

[Heather]

I hear your pain on the security deposit, I filed papers today notifying our ex-slumlord that he has until the 20th to pay up or I take him to court. Which in NY only costs $20! Good luck with yours.

And I love the armoire. I so need to find a piece like that. Fabulous appearance, multipurpose and full of storage. Does it get any better?

[Why Mom Drinks Rum]

I hope your landlord (old one) get's *insert STD of your choice here*.

When we were on our ...umpteenth....rental we had to do the same thing with an armoire. Not one as nice as your's....but it was my baking cupboard. All the baking supplies in one spot. As opposed to...you know....shoved into every available free space in the pantry. Leading me to hate baking.
Not that I do that.....