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My Milk Paint Display Case The Revival That Shouldn’t Have Been

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I am going to say something I rarely ever say. There are some things you can’t fix.

Or maybe a better way to say it is, there are some things you shouldn’t fix. Now. You’re looking at this picture and maybe you’re confused. Looks fine to me.

Even the before picture isn’t SO bad. But, I’m telling you, she’s hiding an ugly, ugly secret!

Press-board. That evil, evil stuff that grabs at moisture like a sponge and then splits, cracks and generally falls apart. There is no fixing it. Replacing it, especially for this piece would’ve meant rebuilding the entire thing and what would’ve been the point of that?

So why did I even buy it? Good question. I have asked myself that very same thing since the day I brought it home nearly 6 months ago.

Well. She has a story, like everything does and her’s goes like this.

I was trolling our local Facebook yard sale page when I came across a photo of this cabinet for sale. I had just completed this china hutch for a friend and I couldn’t wait to do another. Actually, I wanted one of my own.

I immediately messaged the lady and made an offer. Her response, which was puzzling, would you offer me a dollar more? A dollar more. Hmmm.

I thought about it for a minute and decided I didn’t need to know why. I’m not going to argue over a dollar. She needed me to come and get it immediately because she was moving and had to be out that day. I sent my husband by to give it the once over (lesson learned there!) and then the both of us went back to pick it up.

One look at it and I knew that I had not only over paid (by more than a dollar!) but that I’d never be able to use it as I had hoped. So why didn’t I back out?

When my husband went by to look at it the woman was visibly upset. It turns out she had recently lost her husband and she was having to move from their family home as a result. She was in love with her china cabinet that her husband had given her as a Mother’s Day present when their adult son was just a boy. But she had to part with it and a lot of her other possessions as a result of her move. Just before his death her husband had made a bet with her. He told her, I bet you can’t get a dollar more than such and such for that thing! But she did. She got a dollar more from me.

How could I have said, nevermind, to that story?

Even if the top looked as though it might never have been cleaned. Or dusted. Like, EVER.

And this was the drawer AFTER I scrubbed it, sanded it and given up.

So how would I use this? I couldn’t let it go to waste. I loved it’s story.

And I loved these pulls, don’t you?
As it turned out the store where I offer my Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint recently sold the display shelves I had been using for the paint. It was time for something else. Something that I would never, never entertain the thought of selling but something that would make a lovely display. Light bulb moment.

A nice coat (or 3) of white paint. A silver Rustoleum Metallic for the pulls….
Some funky contact paper for that awful drawer…
And she cleans up quite nicely!

But don’t let her fool you! She’s still hiding something. Then again, aren’t we all?

Jamie Lott

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Filed Under: Southern Revivals 14 Comments

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Comments

  1. Teresa says

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    Love this post! Yes, don’t we all have a story?
    That’s what fun about repurposing.

    Reply
    • Jamie Lott says

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      It’s one of my favorite parts! I love the things you find in old furniture, too! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Youaretalkingtoomuch.com says

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    I dub this piece….”The Secret Keeper”. Love the post! Love you! XOXO! Rebecca

    Reply
    • Jamie Lott says

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      That’s a great name for her! I think she’ll like it. Thank you Reb! Love you right back! 😉

      Reply
  3. uniquelyyoursormine.com says

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    Ugh.. What a heartfelt story! I totally understand why you wouldn’t want to sell this, but it came out gorgeous and looks like it is the perfect display piece! – Susan

    Reply
    • Jamie Lott says

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      Thank you Susan! She did turn out pretty and she deserves it since she’s always been well loved.

      Reply
  4. ashlea says

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    Wow. What an awesome story!!

    Reply
    • Jamie Lott says

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      Thanks Ashley!

      Reply
  5. Anonymous says

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    What an awesome display! And you’re not a shabby writer, either. Laura

    Reply
    • Jamie Lott says

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      Well coming from you Miss English Major, that’s a real nice compliment! 😉 Love you!

      Reply
  6. reFresh reStyle says

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    Love it all Jamie~no I’m not hiding anything…hehehehehe. She looks so much better 🙂

    Reply
    • Jamie Lott says

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      Me either Debbie! LOL Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Anonymous says

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    That’s an amazing story and good for her for getting that dollar more. 😉 Just one last (inside) joke for them. It looks amazing and as I always say, everything happens for a reason. Perfect display piece. I hope she knows where she can come see it.

    BeckyD

    Reply
  8. donna garner says

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    i hope that you have sent her pictures of the hutch. It is wonderful…as the memory becomes the story…the old adage of perfection….it is not what you see but how well you hide it. imperfections in today’s society is often thrown to the curb never giving a story the proper ending. with imperfections….comes character. love this.

    Reply

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