I inherited a bunch of furniture from my grandmother about 5 years ago. My favorite piece — and the piece I almost let get sold — was the credenza that lived in her living room my whole life. It's a beautiful mid century teak credenza that I have truly treasured having. It has moved with me from my first apartment all the way through living with someone to being single again. I've used it a million different ways and it's something I'm likely to have my whole life.
Bedroom (image 2)
First it was in the bedroom of my very first apartment (Laure's Sparkling Space — the launching point of writing for Apartment Therapy!) housing clothes and odds and ends. I kept it relatively cleared off with only a mirror and a couple of objets.
Office (image 1)
Next it became storage for office odds and ends near the dining table I used as a desk (and in the setting of the infamous Books in the Rafters Post). I changed out the artwork on top and tried not to let the printer live on it.
Dining Room (images 3 & 4)
Then I moved in with my boyfriend into a proper house it became the backdrop for the dining room table. The drawers held the kids' drawings and inside the main compartment we kept books we didn't have any room for on the shelves. I put together a terrarium for the top and put one of my favorite turquoise lamps on it. It made a guest appearance in this post about caring for teak furniture and also one of Grace's posts about using sheepskins on shell chairs.
Living Room (images 5 & 6)
Now it's come full circle and it is back being used in the living room. The boyfriend and I broke up so I have a smaller space. This time I decided to get the shelves out of storage and use them the way my grandma did in her living room. This provides endless opportunities for tweaking and re-accessorizing — but it also gives my living room a more anchored feel with such a strong, timeless piece of furniture. This time around it made a guest appearance in Abby's post about 7 Ways to Rediscover the Beauty in Your Home. You can also see more pictures on my own blog.
Gramma (image 7)
This is the only picture I could find of how my grandmother had the credenza and shelves at her house.
Do you have a piece of furniture you've repurposed as you've moved around?
Images: Laure Joliet
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Gramma's furniture rules! I am also liking your ceiling shelves with the books. I don't thinkI've ever seen that before, Very neat.
Your Gramma had style! My grandmother had a very similar chair to the pair in the middle of your Gramma's room - only hers was upholstered in a peacock blue velvety fabric. Your photo is very nostalgic.
I have my grandparents' 'buffet' - more ornate than the credenza - faux tudor or something _ and not nearly so useful. I love it because it was always there in their dining room. But if I wouldn't be drummed out of the family, I'd paint it white.
However, this post just makes me regret giving away my mother-in-law's credenza, which was quite similar. I almost saved it from the truck at the last minute, but I didn't.
#3/#4 definitely
Your grandmother had that living room done up! That's a cool looking lamp in the back right corner.
Funny, all I need is your grandmother's sideboard and then we would have matching dining rooms... a Nelson Bubble, an Eames conference table and a set of Eames DSX chairs (same color even except I have upholstered ones.)
So that makes pic four is my favorite use, as a sideboard (although I feel the fifth pic is what is was originally intended for... like in your grandmother's house.)
Repurposed furniture - I have a couple of round Eames Aluminum group tables. I want to make the smaller one, 36", a coffee table. So I'm looking for a short post to make that come true. Wondering if the Alum. Grp. ottoman post would work?
p.s. Aren't credenzas without legs?
So much for the much maligned "granny" decorating. Looks like the old girl knew what she ws as doing!
We got a lot of furniture from my grandparents when we bought out house. We turned a coffee table turned tv console into a window seat, and a secretary&bookshelf of my husband's into a china hutch.
Is that table purchase-able somewhere?
Gramma rocks!!
@whole9yards
one place for sure:
http://www.hermanmiller.com/Products/Eames-Tables
or try the local Craigslist, ebay or business' closing up (mine was a conference table in it's previous life.)
I love your credenza, I wish my grandma had one of these ! The way you use it in each room make me want one even more. I keep an eye out at the thrift stores and flea markets for one that someone overlooked. I found an amazing typewriter flip desk circa 1920's at the good will for ... get this $17 ! It looked like it was in a basement for 40 years but my husband and i cleaned it up and stained it and its so beautiful I would never sell it. Trash to treasure :)