Wooden Cubbies

One of my very favorite things is finding useful things to put things in. Winnie the Pooh's gift to Eeyore on his birthday would have gone over even better with me. "Pooh tells Eeyore that he has brought him a Useful Pot, with A Very Happy Birthday with Love from Pooh written on the side, and that Eeyore can use it to put things in. And he gives Eeyore the pot. At this point Eeyore become quite excited, because has just spotted something very interesting indeed. He tells Pooh that his balloon will fit into the pot! Pooh says no, and explains that balloons are much too big to go into pots, and what Eeyore should do with a balloon is hold it and...But Eeyore says that his balloon is different, and he picks it up with his teeth, and puts it into the pot - and it fits beautifully! So he takes it out again, and puts it in again, and takes it out again, and puts it in again. "So it does!" said Pooh. "It goes in!" "So it does!" said Piglet. "And it comes out!" "Doesn't it?" said Eeyore. "It goes in and out like anything." I have a special fondness for vintage wooden boxes, crates, and cubbies. Happily, there are plenty of opportunities to find useful things to put things in. I have acquired several wooden tool caddies similar to the one above by cottagefarm. I keep tools organized in my studio in the compartments. I'm proud to be giving them a new life, doing what they were meant to do.

On the other hand, you don't need to feel restrained by an item's previous life when considering its usefulness to you. The divided wooden box above by funkeyfinds demonstrates how vintage wooden boxes function just as comfortably as display shelves.

Vintage wooden egg crates can also lend a hand in keeping things organized. This egg crate by prairieantiques (above) still has the cardboard inserts to compartmentalize your eggs, spools, jars, or balls of yarn.

I have an egg crate very similar to the one above at sevenbc. I use it to corrale the countless catalogs and magazines that I haven't gone through yet. It sits by the end of the couch.

DakorahDesigns offers another version of the egg crate, this one with a wire to hang it and cardboard inserts for organization. I think egg crates would be fantastic for storing Christmas ornaments...

Old drawers present a world of possibilities as well. The little box above by littlebyrdvintage reminds me of a drawer, since there are finger grooves on each side, as if to pull it from the wooden counter at the general store. Or maybe it belonged to a desk that has long since departed. Either way, I am sure the box would be up to the duty of storing your greeting cards or paper clip collection.

These miniature drawers may have also come from a desk, and would be perfect for storing hard candy for the mid-day drop in blood sugar. I could also see them being used to display business cards on the edge of a desk. Scoop them up at cabinwindows.

Sewing machines used to come attached to a table with drawers for all your bits and bobbins. This was in the days before computerized embroidery settings - I still remember when my brother fixed a "broken" sewing machine that was stuck on the "puppy setting." Having traded sewing tables for puppy settings, there are now volumes of sewing drawers in antique shops, or as above from rhinestonesnrust, perfect for organizing your life with a little vintage style.

Maybe you're so far from computerized embroidery that you actually still do sewing yourself. In that case you'll need a safe spot to store your needles. Txalteredart2 has these wooden boxes that would also be great for beads or any other small bits you don't want to get away from you.

If you're less of a tailor and more of a cubicle dweller, perhals this wood and metal card file is more up your alley. FromGraytoGold demonstrates that this drawer is equally good for storage and display. You can even label the contents!

Keeping in the office theme, this vintage wooden paper sorter at ShabbyNChic shows it's up to the challenge on more than one level. I wouldn't know whether to put paper in it, fill it with sand and rocks for a zen garden, or let the kittens hide in it peering out the window.

As Freud said, sometimes a wooden box is just a wooden box. At least that's what I have heard he said. VintageCabinet has this great primitive wooden box. Its former life was as... a wooden box, and it's just as functional now as it was then.

I love the knotty holes in this vintage wooden box with a sliding top. I could see storing candles, matches, or playing cards in this box by MaterialExcess.

This wooden box has a handy latch to keep contents safely inside, and is constructed from a fruit crate. Find it at lemontreefarm.

Luncheonettevintage has this wooden artist's case, complete with paint spatters on the inside. All you have to tell me is that this is for storing art materials and I'm sold. I have a similar wooden artist's case at home. It keeps track of my brushes, paints, and other painting tools.

This vintage typewriter case lid was altered to serve as a display cabinet or desk organizer. I love how polkadotHOME photographed it with bits of bark. And how many curio cabinets have bonus leather handles, anyway?

I have a vintage shoe polish box similar to this one. I use it to store all those extra candles I wind up with but don't want out and about just yet. The beauty of these vintage boxes is that you can secretly store useful items in them, but use their exterior as interesting home accents. Find this shoe polish box (complete with shoe polish and brushes) at valnorthwoods.

Dairy crates like this one from ingenuityondisplay are sturdy enough for some of the heavy lifting in home storage. I have one from a local dairy farm that keeps extra slate from taking over my studio.

(A wall in my studio with printers block trays, bulletin boards and a vintage T square - see more on my flickr photostream.)

As charming as they are ubiquitous, printers block trays (or letterpress trays) make perfect curios for small objects you want to display. imwishfulthinking has this one with great varied compartment sizes.

Smart and organized doesn't mean you can't also be beautiful, demonstrated by this letterpress drawer from luckylittledot. Sadly, their last drawer has sold, putting me in a very Eeyore mood today.

Letterpress drawers are also great for organizing small items, like buttons or beads. All those little compartments to fill! elizabethwrenvintage shows us how with this listing.

Today's grand finale is this letterpress furniture cabinet from DeFrance. Furniture in letterpress speak means the blank stamps without the letters or images used in printing. Just imagine all the things you could put in those cubbies... I think even Eeyore would smile.

Pottery Barn Inspiration

When the Pottery Barn catalog comes in the mail, I dutifully flip through the pages to see if there is anything I "need." Sometimes I do find something for our home, and I will admit to owning Pottery Barn furniture (the Sumatra bedroom set and the Bedford work table in my studio, specifically). But more often, it is simply the room arrangement that I admire. Moreover, I usually find myself wanting items in the photographs that Pottery Barn does not sell, but that they have used to give their rooms character.

In the image above, I love the wooden beams around the windows and the wall color. But most of all I love what is on the coffee table - a [jade?] plant and wooden pins. Pottery Barn doesn't sell the pins, but a quick search on Etsy turns up quite a few options.

I'm thrilled to be able to show another item from everyeskimo, my internet crush. Perfect vintage juggling pins.

VintageEmbellishment has these great pins complete with red bowling ball.

Sweetshorn's wooden bowling pins are shorter and chubbier, and include a bit of color.

In the image above, of course I love the dog figure, and I also admire the use of the railroad spikes on the coffee table. Etsy sellers offer plenty of railroad spikes that can be used as paper weights, objets d'art, or any other use you can think up.

Vintagesupplyco has these six charming railroad spikes.

MyraMelinda salvaged these old railroad spikes from an old railway in Alabama.

The photo of an entryway with one of Pottery Barn's benches and a row of doorknob hooks gives a really charming idea for displaying other bits of character in your home. Of course, they do not sell vintage pant hangers or dog prints, but this is easily rectified. Wooden pant hangers are easy to find on Etsy, and there is no shortage of dog-related prints. Of course, you can display any piece of art that suits your home, but I am partial to canine images.

I about fell over when I saw this cool item photo from ladiesandgentlemen - what a great way to show how to use their vintage pant hangers en masse.

If you prefer a different wood finish, check out karapegg's pant hangers.

If you require a pant hanger and a hanger that can accommodate shoulders, defdif has your vintage wooden hanger.

If you need to refresh your supply of dog themed prints, may I suggest peylu's print.

Or a photo print from JackieBass.

In this photo of bedroom furniture and linens, my eye is drawn to the rustic wooden stool, which is sadly not for sale through Pottery Barn. Happily, you can find similar pieces to scratch this particular itch.

This bench by polkadotHOME has a tin "roof" and has great color.

More subtle but with just as much personality is this primitive wooden stool from vintagecottagegarden.

And this primitive mission-style children's stool by marygracethomas is just way too cool with its straight and tall back.

One of my favorite recurring images in the Pottery Barn catalog is their use of architectural salvage to bring a little personality to the rooms they photograph. Above is a piece of wooden salvage, and below is a desk with what appears to be a metal finial underneath a glass cloche.

Hey, we can replicate this!

I'm in love with the curves and lean of this piece from vintageinteriors.

This charming mis-matched pair comprised of a newel post knob and finial are from calloohcallay.

gypsymarket has two matching wooden finials.

InfinityCrafts has this cute glass cloche, and how fun is the plate with blue flowers?

I had to include this vintage cork glass jug dome - complete with a handle - from storybookcharm.

I have mentioned before my love for vintage maps, and the Pottery Barn wall above shows how great vintage maps can look in a room. There are plenty of sellers on Etsy who have vintage maps. I like to find maps of geographical areas that have special meaning for my family.

Hellobrowneyes has this 1939 map of Michigan, the state from which my family hails.

Perhaps Holcroft's 1938 map of Spokane, Washington, is from whence your family comes?

Or maybe you prefer to recall days spent in France as a youth, though I doubt many remember 1883 France as depicted in LeTrip's map.

The small potted tree in the catalog photo for these drapes has a great idea for display that doesn't even require purchasing an accent piece. If you're like me, you have every cork you've ever popped out of a bottle. Mine are safer in a drawer where my dogs can't steal them, but how great would it be to put them all in a pot as decorative "mulch" for an indoor plant?

Pottery Barn is selling these black and white prints of vintage typewriters. If you want a taste of the prints, but don't want to commit to the Barn's pricetag, I suggest Etsy as an alternative source.

Theartofvenus has this lovely vintage typewriter woodblock.

This typewriter left in the rain and memorialized by OnPaper makes me want to push Return.

This typewriter illustration from kelleystreetvintage is wonderful in its dark composition and detail.

Finally, the September 2009 catalog has baskets featured on the cover. I love baskets for their organizational and decorative uses, but I rarely purchase them. I am lucky enough to have a very talented basket weaver for a mother, but for those less fortunate, I might suggest investing in handmade baskets. The design possibilities are infinite, and the organizational potential is just as great. And if you purchase from an artisan, you'll have a practical piece of art in your home, and a feeling you don't typically gain from mass-produced baskets.

This basket tote by basketsbyrose has lovely blue dyed reed and matching shaker tape handles.

I'm a sucker for the cat's paw basket design with "feet" that point on the bottom, and this one from ChimeraWeave is simple and cute.

Not least among my basket picks are my mom's garlic baskets. I'm lucky to have one for onions, one for garlic, and another smaller one for extra garlic. (I like garlic.) There aren't any in her shop currently, but I understand she may be restocking them soon.

I have come to realize that Pottery Barn's genius is in providing a neutral backdrop with their products that serves as the canvas for your home. Their pieces do have charm, but the soul has to come from us. It's not the lovely wood grain on the table that makes a home, it's the food we serve on the table, and the items we choose to serve that food in. It's not a certain poster print that everyone else has - or maybe it is, if that's what means something to us. What makes a home is the crayon drawings on the refrigerator and the dog bowls on the floor. And to the extent that we can make good design choices with those personal touches, all the better. Maybe you frame the child's drawing and feed the dog from hand thrown pottery. This parallels another concept I often struggle with: how to give new homes more personality. Our home isn't very new, but it certainly isn't very old and doesn't include many of the architectural details of an older home. I should count myself lucky, though, in that I can add many of those details over time, choose which elements of character I want, and add them onto a solid foundation and neutral background. A final note - I had heard from one of my featured Etsy sellers that the shelter industry and fashion industry were trending toward vintage. I think the September 2009 catalog from Pottery Barn bears this out, and I am grateful to be on the cutting edge of a trend. Though I plan to continue to use vintage accents and personal items to spruce up my home long after it goes out of style.

Souvenirs from the Outer Banks

I bought this stained glass window from a small antique shop specializing in antique stained glass windows - The Elegant Attic in Buxton, North Carolina. The owner was a charming lady named Shirley Weeks who gave me a tour of her home adjacent to the shop to learn more about stained glass. I was looking for a more colorful window, but this bird and branch spoke to me. She told me that the window dated back to the early 1900s and that it is from England. I may hang it in the window in our foyer - pictures will follow when I do hang it. Branch detail

Bird detail

I bought these goblets at a pottery studio called Red Drum Pottery in Frisco, North Carolina. I liked the glaze, but what fascinated me was that they tinkle when you move them. When I first picked one up, I thought I had broken it and was turning it looking for the part that fell off. But I realized that something in the stem was rolling around, and as I checked the other goblets, they all made the same noise.

I also really loved the glaze on this lidded jar.

I believe I also brought home more than my body weight in sea shells - pictures to follow.