I recently had to sell my business's beloved card catalog (we displayed greeting cards in it — surprise!) because there won't be room for it in our new studio. It went to a very good home, but since then, I have done nothing but dream about card catalogs and everything that I could do with one, especially with all of this fun organizing talk going around! The possibilities are endless, but I found a favorite use that feels homey, practical and lovely all at once.
Over on Small Notebook, Rachel Meeks found a glorious vintage piece on Craigslist and brought it home to organize her belongings. Everything that might find a place in a junk drawer is perfectly categorized and filed away in the catalog. I love the idea of having a drawer for everything from tea lights to seeds!
Click over to read the full story on Small Notebook, or just revel in the photos if you're an organizational junky like me.
(Images: Rachel Meeks)
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I love both the look of it and what you've used it for. Great idea!
I would love to have one of these.
Jealous! Jealous!
this is great! way more charm than any organizational storage one could purchase new.
Just checked Craigslist in my area, cheapest one is $1200... guess I'll have to keep dreaming.
i got mine for $150. I love it.Keep checking craigslist. That's where i found mine.
That is a nice card catalog; I'd prefer it over a blond one. My . . .distant cousin big organizer is a 44 drawer wood optician case.
I'm a teacher and have been begging the librarian to buy our school's empty card catalog to no avail. Apparently I'm not the only one who has inquired...
I have an old steal one. It looks like a card catalog at least. I dreamed as a makeup artist with TONS of product to organize of finding something with lots of little drawers that was actually nice and interesting to look at. When I saw my piece I was in love! Something like this is a dream come true for any creative person that has lots of little things to organize!!!
oops...steel
I have a 20-drawer card catalog on legs. I am absolutely in love with it and use it for organization as well. I found it for $75 on Craigslist (Boston), keep checking!
I bought one with 60 drawers from a library. I put all my art and office supplies in it. LOVE IT! www.peacefulones.blogspot.com
Another type of furniture with multiple small drawers is the apothecary cabinet. Also goes by: "pharmacists" or "herbal" or "herb" or "medicine" cabinet and seems to exist in many cultures. I have one from India which I use to store teas (in the drawers) - (shown http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=587191077962316&set=a.587163887965035.145047.570388752975882&type=1&theater ).
There's a whole range of sizes, styles, origins (China, Korea, Europe...) and a HUGE range of prices on 1stDibs if you search "apothecary".
Added bonus - my 3-year old son can spend hours opening and closing the drawers...
I have an old, rusty, green steel, 2 drawer one in my kitchen filled with recipe cards on one side and the papers for all of my 'life time guarantees', user info, and the occasional secret stash of chocolate in the other. I love having all of that stuff together, instead of half a dozen recipe boxes scattered or stacked. But, I haven't yet had the heart to paint it.
I found a wooden one in a vintage store for $350 that was an early version of modular stackable office furniture (need more file drawers? just add another stack of drawers) and I
use it to stash similar items near my front door.