We’ve all inherited furniture from family or friends. Or we’ve had to make up an excuse for why we don’t need an ugly, scratched desk or a chair that isn’t nice enough for the Salvation Army. If you’re lucky, you can inherit a fabulous piece of furniture that serves several functions, especially within a home office, or you can make your existing furniture become more functional.
Interior Designer Melinda Miles and her husband inherited a pharmacy supply cabinet that had been in their family for years. The quarter-sawn oak cabinet started out in an old, turn-of-the-century drugstore and held pharmacy supplies. Miles realized that these drawers, with the labels for the pharmaceutical products still attached, were the perfect size for DVD and supply storage within her home office.
Her interior design skills came in handy when she created plans for a hutch unit that could rest on top to house the TV, books and some accessories. Her cabinet guy built the hutch exactly to the specifications to line up with the base, and her furniture refinisher matched the old finish perfectly. Matching a finish is not an easy task.
Now they have a fully functional entertainment center/supply cabinet that preserves a piece of her husband’s history. Her husband didn’t want to remove the old pharmacy labels, but the one that read “Feminine Products” disappeared mysteriously during the redesign process.
Some parts of history don’t need to be preserved.
I truly enjoy the different insights that people have regarding fixing up and or organizing ones living space. Needless to say everything depends on ones personal tastes as to the way it all will end up. Personally I prefer to center my furniture look around different color schemes. The right colors really can help make my day.
Good point. Your office should fit your needs and tastes, not someone else’s.