Mr. Q and I invited my sister over for dinner one Friday evening a while back, but it was all part of a secret ruse to get some help moving my giant English cupboard into the house.
We followed the advice that Marilee gave me and removed the doors from the cabinet to both lighten it up and make it easier to grab onto (thanks so much for that piece of advice Marilee, it made this so much easier). Of course we also took all of the shelves out. Even so, this cupboard is still big, bulky and heavy. We used some moving straps to lift it, Mr. Q on one end, my sister and me on the other.
It actually went more smoothly than any of us thought it would. I gotta tell you, in person the size of this cupboard is pretty intimidating.
I’d asked all of you to give your opinion as to whether I should paint the cupboard, or leave it ‘as is’. I totally expected the majority to say I should paint it. After all, painting furniture is what I do and also I assume why most of you enjoy my blog. In the end I only got two votes for painting it, one of them from my sister which really surprised me (after all, I’m pretty sure she reads this blog because she’s my very supportive sister, not because she loves painted furniture). On the other hand, several of my fellow furniture painters voted for leaving it ‘as is’ which also really surprised me. But the really unexpected result was how many of you suggested I consider adding a lime wax finish. Eureka! I hadn’t even considered that, and what a great idea.
But for the moment, the advice I decided to follow is to live with the cupboard for a while ‘as is’ and see how it feels. At a minimum I wanted to at least bring it into the room to see how it looked in place.
So far, so good. It fits perfectly into this space and I absolutely love it. I still have the blue rooster cupboard directly across from it next to my desk.
I was worried the room was going to look a bit cupboard-heavy with two large cupboards, but I don’t think it does in person.
Of course, the inherent danger with this ‘live with it for a while’ plan is that I’ll grow complacent. Now that the cupboard is in place, it will be a little bit more trouble to refinish it and I won’t be as motivated to get it done. Will I end up just leaving it ‘as is’ because it’s the easiest option? Or will it truly be because I love it ‘as is’? We’ll just have to wait and see.
In the meantime, I’ve decided to fill ‘er up and see how well it functions for storing my many craft supplies.
Since I was transitioning from a dresser with drawers to a cupboard with shelves, I had to come up with containers for holding things. In other words, I didn’t want to just pile my glue guns, craft paints, greeting cards and colored pencils in a jumble on the shelves.
Fortunately I already kept quite a few of my craft supplies in cool vintage tool boxes.
My glue guns and extra glue fit perfectly into the rusty aqua toolbox my co-worker Jodie gave me for my birthday last year (the same aqua toolbox that’s pictured in Vintage Holiday!).
And although they aren’t here yet, the green box and possibly one or two of the toolboxes I brought home from those lunchtime garage sales last week will probably make their way into this cupboard as well.
My unopened bags of milk paint can just line up on the shelves along with an ironstone pitcher full of wax brushes and some glass canisters full of knobs (I keep my opened bags of milk paint in an air tight rubbermaid bin to extend their shelf life, exposure to too much moisture can ruin the powder).
I’m still thinking about that lime wax that so many of you suggested, but for the moment I’m just happy to have this giant storage piece in my Q branch. It holds so much stuff, and I know I’m going to get some great use out of it.
q is for quandie 
It’s so awesome! It’s a behemoth for sure, but so so functional. I love all of the vintage boxes and the color on the inside. I spy the knobs we found at Arc in your jar 😉 I think you’ll really love having that much storage there. Now I know to be suspicious if ever invited over for dinner. Accidental Q-Tip! hahahaha!
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LOL, love the ‘accidental q-tip’! Since I don’t really cook, one should always be suspicious about a dinner invitation from me. At this point my sister knows that it usually involves her coming over and doing the actual cooking (no lie), but it doesn’t usually include moving heavy furniture 😉
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The scale of this piece is wonderful in your room. It’s what I call a power piece. I like to use one every room to anchor the space so to speak. While I was one of those who suggested the lime washed look I think this is looking pretty dang great as is. I like that you personalized the interior with a Quandie Cottage Color. I also love all your storage solutions inside the cupboard they add practically and personality simultaneously.
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That’s a great term, ‘power piece’. That is exactly what this is. Now I’m thinking about my other rooms and whether or not they have a power piece. Dining room? Check, Welsh Cupboard. Bedroom? Check, bed. Guest room? Check, chippy cabinet. Piano room? Well, duh, the baby grand. Hey, I think I’m pretty good at this power piece thing 😉
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Power pieces nailed!
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Oh it’s so perfect. I say just leave it as is, and as a painting furniture person, that says a lot. I think unpainted pine is the ultimate bomb. Your craft storage is great and so organized. Love all the vintage rust and personality. After all, anyone can get plastic storage containers and call it good, but your storage is camera ready.
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What makes this piece work for me in the unpainted pine is that the finish shows its age and even has some old paint in the crevices. I’m not so much a fan of newer/fresher looking pine. For example, the original finish of my rooster cupboard. That one definitely benefited from some paint I thought. And the organization is a bit of an illusion. It was organized for the photo, but not so much at the moment 😉 I think as I go I’ll change some stuff up to make it even more functional. For example, I’ve decided I need my camera stuff to be more accessible. Currently I have to pull out a box and open it to get to it. I need to be able to just reach in and grab. So things will evolve as I figure that stuff out.
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I love the warm, natural wood, and it holds your sweet miniture dressers very nicely!
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Thanks Kim! Initially I was thinking about putting the mini’s on top of the cupboard so that they would be on display even when the cupboard is closed. But as it turned out, I didn’t like the look of them up there. So, I put them inside. Now it’s almost like my own little secret. Several of my fellow vendors at Reclaiming Beautiful offered to take them off my hands if they didn’t work out with the new cupboard, but I don’t think I’ll be parting with them any time soon 😉
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I absolutely love the inside of this cabinet. Seeing all your things stored in vintage containers is eye candy for me.
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Thanks Becky! I do love me some vintage containers 😉 One of these days I should share some more photos of my pantry because I have some great vintage containers in there too.
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I would love to see it!
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I LOVE the organization inside. I am always trying to get more organized and de-clutter. This is really inspirational. (As I was reading your blog I kept hoping you would show the inside so I could see what you were going to do in there).
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Your wish is granted 😉
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Love it all Linda!!!! Great organizing skills too!!!
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Thanks Lisa! You could probably use a giant cupboard to store all of your painting supplies too 😉
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It does look really nice in person and holds a bunch. I’ll have to open it every so often to see how neat and organized it is.
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Egads! Don’t do that. My secret will be out, it will probably be a total mess 90% of the time.
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The cupboard fits perfect in this space. I am glad that you decided to live with it awhile. It has a wonderful patina. I do love the color of the inside. Perfect piece!
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Thanks Monica! Fusion’s Laurentien on the inside is one of my favorite colors. Plus, since the Fusion paint is fully washable once cured, it’s a practical option for my cupboard full of craft supplies. You know I’m going to spill something in there eventually 😉
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Wow…perfect piece for the room. I like it “as is” as well. But maybe a rub on or stencil to give it nust a little bit “more”? I fell in love with the french stencils you use. Or maybe some smaller sized banners, saying “supplies” or “crafts” or something like that? Nice to have a strong and willing sister too…good job Deb!
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I feel very lucky to have a sister who is pretty much up for anything most of the time. How did I ever live without her for all of those years that she was in New Jersey?
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My jealous jealous streak is active as I read this post……that cupboard is perfection and you are a lucky girl to have scored it !
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Thanks so much Karen! Yes, I do believe you are right, I am feeling lucky to have scored this cupboard 🙂
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Love it,Love it,Love it just the way it is. Guess who…..Betty from ,Ontario, Canada
I. Think your sister is super.
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I love Betty. That is all. Actually, it’s not all. I think you should do a “meet the reader” post 😉 The Q-ties?
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Great idea Meggan, and great name!
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As my sister likes to remind me all the time, she’s my mom’s favorite. So don’t you go starting too Betty!
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I absolutely love this blog it’s so inspirational but can you tell me what milk paint is ? I live in the uk and I’m not familiar with it xx
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Thank you Irene! True milk paint is a paint that is made with casein which is a milk protein, hence the name. It comes as a powder and you mix it with water to create the paint, only mixing as much as you need for your current project. Once mixed, the shelf life is short, but in powder form you can keep it indefinitely. It is non-toxic and has zero VOC’s. I know there are UK retailers of Miss Mustard Seed milk paint, check this link to see if there are any near you. There are quite a few brands of milk paint out there including Miss Mustard Seed, Homestead House, The Real Milk Paint Co, Sweet Pickens and more.
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I say don’t paint it, it has a soft European look. It’s a great piece!
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It does have a European look, as it should. The person I bought it from said it was brought over from England after all 🙂
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Thank you ! I’ve just found a stockist on the link you sent 👏👏👏 can’t wait to try it out xx
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I hope you love it as much as I do Irene. Milk paint is my favorite paint to work with. I don’t always use it, there are times when I want a different look, but the pieces I keep for myself are almost always painted with milk paint.
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Your blue rooster cupboard was the very first piece I pinned from you. That was when I started following you and loving all you do! Love everything you have done in the room. Love all the “vintage green” you’ve been doing too as green is my fav 💚 Thanks for continuing to inspire.
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That’s awesome. Thank you so much Cherie. My rooster cupboard is sitting right here next to me and I still love it as much as I did when I first painted it 🙂
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Don’t paint the warm outer wood. The inside is a gorgeous color. If you tire of the outer wood, just open the doors to let the green show. Besides, you have the pretty blue painted cupboard to look at. I surround myself with old things that make me happy, including vintage containers for just about everything inside & in my garage.
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I’ve pretty much determined that I definitely won’t be painting it. I may still consider a white wash, or possibly a white wax. Maybe. And you are so right, I do already have a pretty blue cupboard right across the room from it. Also, we clearly have the same fondness for surrounding ourselves with vintage things that make us happy just to look at them. I love that!
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Fabulous pieces, and nicely arranged. Love it all.
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Thanks Ivory!
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I love it the way it is! I really like painted furniture but I like an occasional unpainted piece here and there. The inside color is such a lovely contrast to the outer portion. Just gorgeous! You’re a lucky girl!
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Wow! The inside is just as spectacular as the outside. What a great piece this is. You are such a lucky lady and so talented to be able to make it all work. Great job Linda!
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I think the cupboard is perfect as it is. Don’t even add the lime wax finish. Old pine is beautiful & since it is light, it doesn’t overwhelm a room. Painting newer or damaged pieces is fine but painting an antique in good condition devalues it. The patina is part of its value. I do light the painted inside–great color.
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Glad to have been of service, 😉 I used to have a corner cupboard that my grandfather made out of shipping crates in the 1940s, and it was miserable to move. My husband is the one who came up with the idea of removing the doors so we could get a grip on it. After that I could even maneuver it myself if I had to.
As the to paint or not to paint, I go with the not to paint group, but the lime wash sounds interesting. And it looks so nice with everything stowed inside.
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Thanks again for that advice Marilee! It really was helpful. Now we know to remove the doors any time we want to move it, which hopefully won’t be for a long time 😉
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