Before & After: Just Try & Top This Card Catalog
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(Image credit: Beth Heim)
Vintage card catalogs are just one of those items you have to grab if you see them for a reasonable price. Beth snagged a pair that stacked, so she decided to give the lower one a top so it could be used separately.
(Image credit: Beth Heim)
From Beth:
These card catalogs are like the holy grail of vintage finds! If you can find them, the prices are usually enormous. I lucked out and found two of these for a pretty good price. They were identical pieces with one sitting on top of the other.
The one I choose to redo was meant to sit under the other one which had the intact top. So, I needed to make a top for this one if I was going to have two separate units. I love herringbone wood patterns and figured it would look cool. I bought some white oak planks and ripped them down to 1″ slats and then cut those into 5″ pieces. Measured out the top, found the middle (sort of… you can read about this process in my blog) and laid them out. The top was sanded and stained. I also stripped the catalog (also oak), all of the drawers, sanded and stained that to match the new top. It was extremely labor intensive. If you find these painted, I can totally understand why!
To finish it off, I gave it some hairpin legs for an industrial vibe. It’s perfect for storing wine bottles but could also work for a crafter’s storage, recipes, or miscellaneous junk. I just like creating and reviving. What people choose to do with it after that is up to them!
For step-by-step photos, check out Beth’s blog, Make Me Pretty Again.
Thank you Beth!